Sunrise
by Edward'sBringingSexyBack
Summary: He looked pointedly at my wrist, then he locked his eyes with mine again. His expression was carefully blank, but his eyes held an emotion that I couldn’t place. All he said was, 'That’s why you’ll regret it.' ::sequel to Moonrise.::
1. Someday

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 1: Someday_

**Someday--Nickelback. (song sorta describes them, but not really)**

**Here it is, Guys! Thanks for so many of the reviews in the first story. That's the most reviews I've gotten for ANY story! I'm so proud of you, and I hope most of you came back to read this one. **

**OOO**

I looked up at the great castle as people bustled around me. My eyes were violet now, a result of blue contacts, the sky a pale gray in the beautiful city of Volterra.

The weather reflected my mood—damp and unforgiving.

Matthias dropped my hand as if it had scorched him—which was completely impossible—and made his way swiftly up the steps. I followed him, unsure of what to do. My hand strayed to my locket, fingering the circular, topaz pendant there, where Jaime's hair was sealed. As Matthias reached gate, he turned and looked at me, crossing his arms, expression cold. He hadn't spoken a word to me since the midnight flight where he had muttered, "We will not speak until we arrive. Try to be quiet." At first I was angry, crossing my arms and glaring out the window. But then I realized what he meant. We would talk in privacy later.

So as he stared at me now, the others already inside, his face warmed the slightest bit. But he was only compared to the coldest piece of ice, slowly melting and warming to the sun, but not quite there yet. Still cold.

"You've made a horrible mistake," he told me quietly. I contemplated that for a moment.

"And what would that be?" I asked, matching his tone of ice.

"You'll figure it out soon enough," he muttered. I went to make my way into the courtyard, but as I brushed past him, he grabbed my left wrist—the banned one. He looked at me, red eyes boring into mine. Then he let me go, and I kept walking.

"Wait," he called, and the golden bracelet glowed, tightening around my hand. Against my will, I found my body lurch and come to a stop before turning to face him. When my task was done, the bracelet stopped glowing, and I could suddenly move again of my own free will. I looked down at the golden ornament, then back at my master.

He looked pointedly at my wrist, then he locked his eyes with mine again. His expression was carefully blank, but his eyes held an emotion that I couldn't place. All he said was, "That's while you'll regret it." I stared at him, but he prompted, "Leave."

My body turned again, and I felt myself walk into the courtyard, seething as my legs moved against my mind. I didn't regret saving Alex, but I _did_ wish I could punch dear Matty.

Stupid vampire powers. I wanted one.

**OOO**

I realized after a little while I had stopped moving, and was more in control of my legs. I sat down in the nicely cropped green grass, extremely pissed. So basically, I had just sold my soul (if I had one) to a guy—no, _creature_—who could control my every move.

My hand hit my locket again. I could take it off, get help, let Alice see me. But… I wasn't the type of person who called for help. I walked alone, except now I was alone with a freak that controlled my life. Sucked, didn't it?

Was there anyway Matthias could speak to me without controlling me? If he gave me a command, then no. Maybe if he said _please_.

I grinned, but kept sitting there. Matthias would find me if he needed me. Or maybe he'd just say, "Come here boy!" and scratch my ears.

I laid there for God knows how long, gazing at the now dawning sky. A shadow fell over me in the starry, orange/blue setting and I hoisted myself onto my elbow.

_Matthias_.

"You missed dinner," he stated. His voice was emotionless, but not cold. I shrugged.

"I didn't know." Laying back down, I let my eyes reflect the few stars there. "What was on the menu?" I inquired softly. The question was so out of character for Cara _Cullen_, but I needed to be nice to Matthias now, especially if he could make me do anything.

When I looked back at his face, his expression was confused. "Um, Italians?"

My eyes flew open. I don't know why, but I hadn't anticipated that my new master wasn't a vegetarian. He looked at my expression with wary, intense eyes.

"Does that bother you?" he asked when I remained silent. "Out with it."

It was command. I felt my mouth open and the words tumble forth. "I don't… drink human blood." I had hoped to keep it a secret. He looked at me for a moment, surveying my reaction, then ran his hand over his face.

"I have to be careful with what I say around you," he groaned.

"What d'you mean?" I asked, getting up. He raised his read eyes to the heavens then back to mine.

"Nothing," he answered. "Let's go."

I followed him, this time of my own free will. He led me up four flights of stairs and down a corridor in the beautiful palace. He held open the elaborate, golden door for me. "Well?" he asked, gesturing me in. I went.

And immediately blanched.

The first thing I noticed was that there was only one bed. There wasn't even a mat on the floor beside it. Just _one_ bed—and vampires didn't even sleep.

He saw my hesitation and added, "Some of us use the beds here to sort of… regenerate. Like sleeping, but you just get reenergized."

Regenerate? Reenergized?

I didn't move. I was still in my silent shock. When I had promised my service, I hadn't meant I wanted to become a concubine. My eyes wide, I gazed at him helplessly.

"We're both using… the bed?" I asked, my voice a terrified whisper. "_Together_?"

"That's the idea… or would you rather take the floor?" His voice was joking, but the floor was sounding _really_ comfortable at the moment. When I didn't respond, his face lit with shock (and amusement) and understanding. "You're a _virgin_," he acknowledged, trying to hide his laughter.

"And why is that funny?" My voice was seething.

"Have you ever even kissed a man?" He was shaking now, no longer trying to hide his delight.

"No, and I'm very proud of it." I turned away from him, glaring at the wall. I felt his hand fall on my shoulder; I shrugged it off.

"I have patrol anyway," he said quietly, his cool breath on my shoulder I suppressed a shiver. "Try to rest."

I didn't respond, but as the door open and clicked shut, a let out a sigh of relief. As I turned to survey the room, though, I glared at Matthias. He was leaning on the door, brown hair falling in his eyes. A smirk playing at his lips. "Miss me?" he asked.

My eyes narrowed. "Not really."

His eyes lost all traces of his previous teasing. "Do you truly hate me that much?"

I looked away, "Yes."

His eyes hardened. "Are you sure?" he inquired. I had never noticed his voice before, so like silk as it washed over my ears. I tried not to shudder. "Tell me," he prompted, his perfect lips moved swiftly.

But his romantic spell on me broke as the golden band glowed again, persuading me to do his bidding. "No, I'm not 'sure'," I hissed angrily. "But you ran over me twice, and the second time I drowned. I don't think that puts you on my good list."

He pondered that. "No, it doesn't, does it?" He glanced at my face, his eyes glinting dangerously. "But maybe something else can."

I took a step back. "What are you implying?" If someone asked me whether Matthias scared me, I'd lie to them and swear that he didn't. But the truth was he did, very much.

He walked towards me, another smirk playing at his perfect, sculpted lips. I hit the wall, and glaring at him, I felt a sudden thrill ripple through me. His face was closer, eyes boring into mine. Then he smiled, whispering, "You know what they say—Temptation is destruction."

His breath washed over my face and I felt my lips part, but then his presence was gone. I looked up, disappointed, and he smiled from the large bed. "Feeling temptation?" he asked lightly.

I tried to pull myself together. "You would know," I muttered coolly. He laughed as I got on the other side of the bed.

"Looks like you feel it," he commented.

"You would just command me to get in the bed anyway," I replied dryly. He chuckled.

"You catch on well."

I felt my jaw clench. "I try."

**OOO**

I kept very still the whole few hours I was there. I did grow restless, but I was too afraid to move—he had indeed brought temptation upon me, and that was what kept me still. And I was already a slave to him. He could command me to "sleep" with him, and I wouldn't be able to resist.

One more reason to add to my list of why-to-be-afraid-of-vampires.

I was so tense, so uncomfortable. I had jumped when he had shifted on the bed, and when he had started humming. I was so uneasy, that I was cursing in my mind at this strange custom of "regenerating". _Psh_. Stupid, ridiculous, "reenergizing". _Psh_.

Finally, I could not bear the deafening silence. I spoke. "This is twotty."

I could almost hear his smile. "Twotty?"

"It's my word," I cautioned. "It means stupid, pointless, ridiculous, dumb—"

"Okay, I think I get the idea." He still sounded amused. As if he knew something I didn't. I contemplated that… Then it hit me.

"You did this on _purpose_," I muttered, and he couldn't hold back any longer. He roared in laughter.

"No, not exactly," he corrected. "But it was either here or the dungeons. I _thought_ you would prefer here, but now I'm not so sure." I frowned, too prideful to answer him. "One of my fellow guards teased me about it, so you're not the only one."

"That's nice." I would have to thank the guy later. Matthias caught the double meaning in my words, though.

"Why do you hate me so much? _You_ were the one who proposed this… arrangement! I tried to talk you out of it!"

I snorted, but kept my back to him. "T'yeah, you put up a big argument, what with your riddles and all."

I could feel his gaze on my back. "I'm…" He trailed off. "I'm _regretful_ you feel that way."

He was quiet for a while , and I had the sudden feeling he'd been about to apologize for something. But what, I didn't know. Finally, fed up, I muttered, "And all the girls in America obsess over Italian boys. Psh."

He did not find this amusing. I felt the weight shift on the bed and looked over my shoulder. He was glaring at me. Oops. "I didn't ask for this, you know," he hissed. "You did."

"Alex was about to die, and—"

"You could have easily proposed to be a guard, like me. You chose not to." His expression was now a cross between shock and fury. "You chose me. The worst possible choice and you latch onto it!"

I sat up, crossing my arms and facing him. "You may have had the decency to _warn_ me."

"I did warn you!" His voice was a furious whisper now. "Just not in the way you expected! Or the way you wanted."

I remained my silence, my jaw jutting out stubbornly.

"Yeah," he said, getting off the bed. "That's what I thought."

I looked away. "Well, as long as you hate me, I'll hate you back," I informed him. When I glanced up, he was already at the door, his red eyes smoldering at me.

He looked at me like that for a long time before he stepped out the door. But I caught the whisper of his words as he left—word I wasn't sure if I was intended to hear.

"I don't hate you."

**OOO**

**PHEW. **

**I know, slightly short. But the next chapter will hopefully be longer. I love you guys!**

**Haha, a few lines that stood out for me in this chapie was, "um… Italians?" and, for god sakes. Don't go thinking Matthias is this awful person. (I'm talking to everybody here!) All will be explained in time. Trust me, I'm the author, I should know.**

**Oh, and I will be changing my screen name. To: DaZzLeR bEaR…. Fiction101, u know why. Lol. That sorta came out wrong. It's a long story…**

**Jamie.**


	2. Going Down In Flames

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 2: Going Down In Flames_

**Going Down In Flames--Three Doors Down. **

**For the record, only a few characters are mine. And so is the setting of Volterra and the palace since Stephenie never described it in detail.**

**OOO**

I explored the palace alone the next day, feeling like a total piece of crap. I had been so terrible to Matthias, and it wasn't normal for any form of me to feel remorse. But I had a feeling, a hunch—crap—that there was something deeper to Matthias. Something I needed to figure out.

I found a small pond, sitting underneath the tree next to where the waves gently lapped at the shore. I had to make a resolve. I would have to be nicer to Matthias. He was right—it wasn't his fault. It was completely mine.

I wanted to punch myself for being so rude, but from what I'd experienced of baseball, that would just make a loud bang, and everyone would get annoyed.

People. I had mostly steered clear of the inhabitants of the palace. Jane especially. She did not make me feel very welcome, and when an evil grin appeared on her face as she saw me, I about called Matthias for help. But then Aro commanded, "Not yet, Jane," and the evil little grin was replaced with a disappointed pout.

_Not yet._ Pft.

So I distracted myself by glancing at my reflection in the crystal clear pond, and immediately cringed. My eyes were dark—I was extremely thirsty. I had forgotten as a newborn, I had to feed more often. And my hair was matted, my face streaked with dirt, all from the railroad fight.

I needed a bath.

I got up, smirking to myself, shifting from foot to foot. Was I really about to return to the feel of my death? Ironic, yeah. I stripped myself of my shirt and jeans—they were covered with dirt, and I hadn't realized it before. I kept on my underwear (and locket); I wasn't about to go skinny-dipping when Matthias obviously wanted every part of me. That much was obvious.

No, I was merely in a bathing suit.

I took a running leap into the pond. The water rushed over me and I wasn't immediately flipping out as if I were drowning. That was good. I scrubbed my hair and face, feeling the dirt drift away. I surfaced from the waves…

And instantly wanting to pull myself back under. Drowning didn't seem like such a bad idea after all.

Matthias was there, in all his shimmering glory, leaning against the tree I'd been sitting under moments before. I stiffened in the water. How much had he seen? "Having a nice swim?" he commented lightly, betraying none of the answers to my hammering questions.

I gave him a thumb's up before slipping back beneath the waves. He laughed—I could hear it through the water. "Is the water a good temperature?" he called, and I rolled my eyes. I could barely even _feel_ the water. "Maybe I should come in?"

My head popped above the surface within a millisecond. "No," I said sternly, as if speaking to a dog. But he was already running at lightning speed. I tried again: "No—!"

I felt him slam into me, and I was pinned to the sand beneath him. I was surprised he kept his eyes on my face, because to him, he could have me in a moment. Thinking that gave me a whisper of that damn temptation again and I tried desperately to shove it aside. He just grinned, leaning closer, lips inches away—

"Matthias!"

I stifled a groan at the intrusion. Matthias, on the other hand, let out a string of profanities that I could easily understand even under water, I recognized the voice that had called him. It was another member of the Volturi's guard, but his name escaped me.

I saw Matthias's brows pull together in frustration, and he made a motion to stay down. It was the same as a command. My body locked down as the bracelet glowed. I couldn't move.

As Matthias surfaced, he asked, "What is it, Lucas?" his tone was cutting, It reminded me why I was slightly afraid of him.

"Aro wants to talk to you about the girl. Cara, is it?"

"Yes." Matthias paused. "Why?"

"As if he would grace me with such information," Lucas laughed. "Make haste before he looses patience."

I could feel the waves of Matthias's hesitation. Behind his back, I saw him motion me up. I rose, glad I could move again, and he grabbed my forearm, pulling me closer to him. I tensed, but he was angry at someone else. As I looked into his face, Matthias's eyes were narrowed, spitting fire. I slid my line of vision to the intruder, whose face was livid.

"Please, come," Matthias's voice was oddly smooth, calm. "Aro apparently wishes to speak to us."

I did not miss the glare that exchanged between the two, or the fact that Matthias's would not let go of my arm. I looked up at Matthias. His face was still raging, livid. I had never seen him this angry, but then again, I had only known him for a few days.

"What was _that_?" I asked. He still didn't drop my arm. He wouldn't look at me.

"What was what?" He inquired, voice innocent. Too innocent. I frowned, glaring up at him.

"I mean the Lucas dude and yourself having the stare down of an existence!"

He raised an eyebrow, facing me. "What was that?" They were the same words I had asked moments before, except he was ignoring my pestering.

"_Stare down of an existence_," I repeated slowly. He frowned, and I continued, "You're not going to spill, are you?"

He grinned. "Not a word."

"You suck."

"It takes very little to make you agitated, doesn't it?" he questioned. "I say something, and you blow up in my face. I don't say something, and you tell me I 'suck'."

I glanced at him. He was still grinning. "It depends on the subject," I insisted. "For example, I could ask you why you can control my every move, and you could choose not to answer me. That would make me angry because it has to do with me, and since you control my every move, so does the Lucas thing. So yeah, I'm agitated," I emphasized, "that _you_ won't tell me something about _me_."

He thought about that, but changed the subject. "How's the temptation?"

I mentally stomped my foot. Who was the Lucas dude anyway? The temptation was so strong; I could have sworn that I would have given in. Matthias knew it, too. It was why he was asking.

"You're despicable," I muttered instead, too prideful to waver.

"They tell me that a lot, actually," he admitted. "I'm starting to wonder why."

"Think real hard," I advised. "Maybe you'll—"

I stopped abruptly as a scent hit my nose. It was so… mouthwatering. I needed it, it was a need. Not a want. It was so wonderful, so great. So… tempting.

"Are you alright?"

Matthias's voice brought me back, but the ache in my throat just grew. I shot him a helpless look before darting into the nearest room. I could hear him trailing me and the door click shut as he stepped in. I was looking around for something—anything to stifle the smell.

"Are you alright?" Matthias asked again.

"Fine, fine," I muttered, grabbing at a candle and holding it under my nose. It didn't help much, only a little. I witnessed him blink a few times before he gave up and shot me a look.

"Is that something American girls do regularly, or am I missing something?" I could tell he was thoroughly confused at my antics.

I locked eyes with him, and I saw comprehension flicker across his face. My eyes must have been pitch black. I needed blood, and soon.

"You're thirsty." It wasn't a question. I nodded in response and he pulled his perfect brows together in thought. "You don't want to drain the receptionist. That would put a mark on your record, correct?"

I blinked. He cared about my record? But I was still panicking. Jasper was so right about the temptation. "Is that what I'm smelling?" I asked distractedly, pacing to occupy myself.

"Probably," he answered casually. "Her or the custodian."

"That's nice to know." I was nearly hyperventilating. What would Carlisle say if I slipped?

"Whoa," Matthias cautioned, laying his hands on bother my shoulders, stopping my frantic pacing. "Calm down. _Breathe_."

"I don't have to breathe," I pointed out, but inhaled the candle all the same. He rolled his eyes.

"Look, if you're that thirsty, we can't have you massacring the innocent townsfolk. So, I'll get you something." His face took on that disgusted twinge again. "What do you like? Rabbit…? Birds—?"

I raised an eyebrow, breathing in the candle again. "Birds?"

He gave me a short glare. "I'm new at this, okay? What do you usually hunt?"

"I'm guessing there aren't many bobcats in Italy?" I hedged. He gave me a "hell no" look, but only said:

"No, not really."

I sighed. "Deer?"

He looked hopeful. "Yes, in a forest nearby."

I felt my lower lip jut out; Matthias's eyes immediately got a shade darker. I pulled them back in, remembering that I was still in a bathing-suit like attire. "That should be okay," I muttered quickly. He let his hands slipped off my shoulders, discreetly shaking his head. "Matthias, why are you doing this?" I asked softly.

He raised an eyebrow, looking at me levelly. I realized I had never said his name before, and that was another turn-on for guys. I clamped my mouth shut as he spoke. "I don't think Aro would be exceptionally ecstatic if you killed the brand new receptionist." He pondered that for a moment, before shuddering. "It happened a while ago with one called Gianna. You don't want to know the gory details."

I frowned at him, unsure if he was lying or not. Finally, I just muttered, "Thanks."

"Hey, you're my slave. It's my job to keep you happy so you don't rip me to pieces when I least expect it, right?" he teased, but at my hardened expression, he asked, "Too soon to joke about it?"

"Yup."

"Of course." He looked out the window. "It's nearly sunset. I'll go when it gets dark. If I shimmer constantly, we might have a slight problem."

"Yeah," I agreed, picking up the candle to take another whiff—feeling like a complete stoner. "Good idea."

**OOO**

The next few minutes passed slowly for me, because I knew I could easily quench my thirst. I could easily make my way out of the room, easily open the door—even if Matthias was leaning against it. I could just walk casually down the stairs—

I blinked furiously. Matthias might drink innocent human blood, but I didn't. I was a vegetarian. And I kept repeating it over and over in my mind.

"Alright," Matthias said after what seemed like an eternity, leaning out of his position at the door. "Just for extra precaution: Don't move from this room unless… You see, hear, or feel the presence of someone dangerous."

"What?"

"I hope you never put together the meaning of that," he growled. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

With that he disappeared.

I tried to decipher yet again one of his many riddles. I hated the guy. Well, if you use the form of hate loosely. He was an okay guy… I guess. Unless you counted the drinking of innocent human lives, controlling a slaves' every move, and running that slave off the road into frigid ice-water where she drowned. But yeah. Totally great guy.

But I still felt a twinge of hate for him. Maybe it was the drowning.

And then there was that part of me that suffered with the temptation. Matthias was gorgeous. There was no doubt about that. His silky voice, his beautiful brown hair. Even his red eyes—

"I'm back."

My eyes snapped open as I jumped. If I was human, I would be blushing a deep red, and I didn't used to blush much in my mortal years. He took in my surprised state and raised an eyebrow.

"You're lucky this thing isn't in pieces," he told me, grinning. "I don't know what the hell tried to take it from me, but it wasn't very nice." He dragged the deer in and I felt the burn in my throat intensify. He had indeed already killed it, but I could smell the stilled blood.

But I kept myself frozen. I was suddenly embarrassed about how I hunted. He picked up on that tidbit quickly.

"You are not about to tell me I killed and dragged this deer through the woods and castle just so you could tell me you're afraid to get blood on your shirt."

I looked at the deer. Normally, under normal circumstances, I would reply a cutting remark saying something like, "That's exactly what I'm telling you," but I didn't. he was right. I needed to get it together.

He watched me as I drained the thing and I felt really careful about what I looked like. My instincts were roaring, but I forced myself to stay focused.

"Now, let me ask you something. Please," he added when me wristband started to glow. "Everyone rages on about the Cullen's golden eyes, but you're a Cullen, and you don't have them. You consume the same type of blood as they do. So why are you're eyes red?"

I felt my mood darken. "I don't necessarily like my eyes, but, can't you smell the human blood that I still have? Carlisle mentioned something about it. It's the reason the newborns are so strong. Our blood stays in our veins until we use it up, for about the first year of our lives."

"Oh," he said, taking out a lighter and burning the deer. "None of the golden trio has mentioned anything like that. I don't even really remember my first year as a vampire."

I blinked. "How old are you?" I wondered. He was extremely arrogant, so I figured he hadn't been around long enough to appreciate the necessities of life. And he definitely hadn't been around long enough to understand women. But, hell, that was one thing guys rarely achieved.

He gave me a long look. "I'm not sure. I don't remember much of my human life, either. Vague images, yes, but names and places escape me. I think that was the Volturi's intent."

"I'm sorry," I admitted as I watched the flames lick at the deer's body. He noted my sour expression.

"You pity the deer."

I nodded. "I pity anything that suffers. I just don't usually show it." I frowned as I said this—I had never intended telling him. I had barely even known myself.

"You suffer," he noted. I averted my eyes.

"Of my own accord," I added grudgingly. "And I don't suffer."

"Oh, but you do. I have to watch every word I say around you. And," he continued, "Aro isn't exactly flippant about you choosing to be a guard's personal slave instead of a guard to the Volturi. Why did you do it?"

_Because I wanted to make your life a living hell_, I thought grimly. But I wasn't about to tell him that. It implied I hated—no, loathed—him, and he didn't need to deal with that.

"I don't know," I lied.

I could tell he saw through me, but he didn't say anything. He just sat next to me on the couch, keeping his eyes on my face. "Now, I'm going to as you something." He nodded. "Why aren't you demanding me to sleep with you at this very moment?" I gestured to my state of undress.

The question brought on a completely different reaction that I had expected. His eyes went black with anger, then blank with shock. I shrunk back, away from him, but he just looked away. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice a broken sigh.

And then he was out the door, before I could even apologize.

**OOO**

**If you're wondering why Matthias burned the deer, you'll figure it out soon enough… Hey Matt!!! You have fangirls!!!**

**Matt: What? I do? That ROX! **

**Cara: …**

**Uh-oh. Run fangirls, run!**

**Jamie.**


	3. Heaven Forbid

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 3: Heaven Forbid_

**Heaven Forbid: The Fray. (this song doesn't fit the chapter, but it does fit the story. I couldn't find a song for this chapter. I searched for like an hour!)**

**Ugh. I want my books from Amazon. I want them NOW. Gr.**

**Sry, I'm a bit on the impatient side. Now, if anyone thought I was contradicting anyone when I said, "freaks of nature" in a chapter in moonrise, I didn't mean anything by it. It's an inside joke with my friends ABOUT US. **_**We**_** are the freaks of nature. Not other people. Just wanted to clear that up, because I don't want any more PMs threatening my life.**

**OOO**

When I arrived back to the room that I shared with Matthias, I froze. There was a maid in there, and I stood like an idiot in the doorway as she looked at me calmly. She didn't know who I was? What I was? My eyes were still red. _Hello?_

"Matthias had an assortment of clothes imported for you, from the finest stores in Volterra," she explained, handing me a box with a satin ribbon.

Of course he did. Had I expected any less?

Well, truth be told, I had expected _a lot_ less. I had thought he would treat me badly, maybe call me names. I had expected to throw it right back at him, too. That is, until I learned what his power was.

He was able to control people. I didn't know the mechanics of it, but I did know that normal vampires couldn't accomplish that. I also knew the golden bracelet had something to do with it. I contemplated it all as I got dressed into a pair of designer jeans that Alice would kill for, and a tank top that wasn't too flashy.

I liked the way I looked in the mirror, even if my hair was still wet. Matthias had done good here.

_Matthias_. I groaned. It seemed everything I said put him into a tantrum. I didn't know what to do. I did know I had to apologize, again. Man, that was becoming a habit.

So I exited my room and stalked angrily down the hallway, glaring at the mosaic tile. Damn Matthias, damn him to the deepest pits of hell.

Of course, I didn't actually feel that way. I was just mad because he kept making me be nice to him. He was turning me soft. Cara Cullen wasn't soft. But I knew I had to apologize. It had been a rather bold question. Rather personal, too. I didn't really have a right to ask him.

I was just about to round a corner when I heard a heated, but quiet argument. Being the nosy person I was, I pressed myself against the wall and listened.

I gasped quietly. One of the voices was Matthias.

"I don't care what you claim, Lucas. Aro didn't want to speak with me. You were lying through your teeth. Why?" he demanded.

"I only wished to speak with the girl." My dead heart constricted. I did _not_ approve of the Lucas dude. I didn't even like him. He seriously freaked me out; the way Matthias had dragged me away from him and glared at the other guard had me shaken.

"_Speak with her_? Oh, I'm sure that was your intention." There was a loud bang and I felt myself grin. Who punched who?

My question was answered as Matthias rounded the corner, fuming and muttering a few extremely explicit profanities under his breath. As he saw me, he stopped in his tracks, raising his eyes guiltily to mine. "How much did you hear?" he mumbled.

"Enough to know that you punched him," I admitted. He frowned. "Why?" I ordered.

He raised his eyebrows innocently. "Why what?"

I gave an exasperated sigh; he wouldn't budge. He was just as stubborn as I was, so I changed the subject. "Why the awesome clothes?"

He shrugged. "I didn't think you'd want ugly ones." He flashed me a grin. "But it was just a guess."

I mumbled nothing in particular. He grinned.

"I thought you were angry," I said at last as we walked together. I saw him frown in the corner of my eye.

"Yes."

I sighed. One-syllable answers, was it? "I didn't think you'd be angry," I stated. His frown deepened.

"I'm sorry," he said after a while. "You see, I'm not exactly a wonderful person… _Cara_." I turned to look at him in surprise, feeling a shiver of that darn temptation as he said my name. He hadn't ever let it slip from his lips before, and I felt wave upon wave of satisfaction that he was warming up to me. "I…" He stopped, a frustrated angle to his features. He was at a loss for words, but I smiled anyway. "I wish there was some way to make you trust me, and 'sleeping' with you is definitely not the way to do it."

"Well, I kind of have to trust you, right?" I asked, a grim smile flashing across my face. "I mean, you could tell me to go rip myself to shreds and light myself on fire, and I'd do it."

"But not because you want to," he finished. I nodded reluctantly. I couldn't lie to him—he'd just demand me to tell him the truth. What was the point?

But that got me thinking. I pursed my lips, staring past Matthias towards the opposite wall. My mind didn't register the fact that he waved a hand in front of my face.

"How does your power work?" I asked finally, locking eyes with him. "I mean, what are the restrictions, the complications? What are the pros, and what are the cons?"

He looked away, probably contemplating whether or not he should answer. I figured he'd just change the subject and embarrass me, so when he spoke, I was surprised. "You see that band around your wrist?" he asked, and I nodded. How in the hell could I miss it? "That's how it works. I have to make one of those mentally, and make contact with the person's skin. Vampire or human. You can see why the Volturi keep me," he added bitterly.

I had just been about to question him about that.

"But, a complication and comfort about this gift is, it has to be a direct command," he told me. "I can't use anything where the person could refuse, otherwise it doesn't work properly."

I thought that through. "So, if you say please, or ask a question, I won't have to do anything and everything you demand?"

He smiled grimly, matching my grimace. "But that's just it—It wouldn't be a demand." He sighed. "But other than that, you've pretty much got it."

"My… dad said once that we get our powers from something that happened to us in our human lives. A trait or characteristic, maybe?" I asked hopefully. If Matthias wanted me to trust him, he would have to tell me more about himself.

He frowned again, and this time it was a little more anguished. "I already told you," he said curtly. "I don't remember anything about my human life." At my disappointed expression, his eyes softened. "But," he added, "I've been told that—as a human—I could appear to be exceptionally persuasive."

I nodded. "I've always been bad at making people do what I want. I _can_ always punch them though."

At Matthias's following, slightly nervous laugh, I remembered something. Something vague. It had happened with Jaime, that I remembered, in the school parking lot. "Aw, damn," I hissed, and Matthias looked at me, the expression is his eyes looking as if he wanted to back away… _very_ slowly.

"What?" he asked, his tone wary. Did I really look that upset?

"_You_ were the jerk I punched in the parking lot?" I wailed. He chuckled; I took that as a yes. "B-but, you had _blonde_ hair, then!"

"Yes, a wig," he confided. "It's amazing how itchy those things are."

"Why the hell did you say that to me?" I hissed after I had gotten over the initial shock. His cheeky words as he leaned against the doorframe of my car that day ricocheted through my mind. He frowned.

"I didn't think you would actually punch me. Truth was, I hadn't done my homework. My job was to get you alone so I could either change you or kill you." He averted his eyes at the last comment. "It was an order," he added weakly.

I nodded. I couldn't really hold that against him. He was a guard, which was like the army, I guessed. I mean, if you were ordered to kill someone, you did it. You didn't just stand there and look stupid, insisting that it wasn't humane to kill an innocent bystander.

"I'm sorry I asked you… _that_," I muttered, back on the subject of my sex-life. It was an extremely uncomfortable subject, but I needed to fix it.

He looked at me, his eyes unreadable, and changed the subject. Again. "Why do you wear that locket all the time?" he demanded (well, sort of). "I mean, I haven't seen you take it off once. Not even when you were in the pond. And it's silver. Aren't you worried about it getting tarnished?"

I shook my head. "When I said goodbye to Jaime—"

"The _dog_?"

I glared at him. "_Jaime_," I insisted. "My brother. Werewolf, not a dog. Big difference. Anyway," I continued as he mouthed a _Sorry_, "When I said goodbye to Jaime, I made him promise not to tell my… family what had happened to me, or what was going to happen."

"Why?"

I sighed. "You interrupt, a lot, don't you?" He nodded with a grin. "Because, twot, they are one protective bunch of vegetarian vampires, and they would rush after me like a pack of Supermans."

"Ah," he approved. "Carry on."

"So, I figured Alice would see me anyway—"

"How?"

I gritted my teeth in frustration. He was doing this _on purpose_. Stupid, purpose-traitor. "Because," I growled, "she can 'see' things. Like me. She can see what I do." When he nodded, I began again. "So he gave me a few bits of his hair to put in my locket so Alice wouldn't be able to see me—"

"Why wouldn't she be able to see you?" I chanced a glance at him. He was smirking. He may not know the answers, but he was definitely trying to piss me off.

"Alice can't see werewolves because they are our opposite in every way, that's why." His mouth formed a small _O_ of understanding, and I continued with my story. "So, I can't take it off, or I won't have contact with essence of werewolf, and Alice would see me, my family would come running, blah blah blah, and then someone would probably die. Not fun."

"No, not fun at all," he agreed, but I detected a sarcastic tinge to the sentence. "Now that I understand that, I think it's my turn to open up a bit."

I raised a brown brow. "How so?"

"You may… call me Matt."

I blinked before an evil grin sped across my face. "How about… Matty?" I teased.

"No," he said sternly, shaking his head. "_Matt_."

"Fine," I grumbled. "Why?"

He laughed. "Matthias is so… Greek. It gets annoying sometimes, that's all."

"Does anyone else call you Matt?" I asked; I was curious.

He thought for a moment, looking at me as he leaned against the wall. "Not really," he answered at last. I felt a twinge of satisfaction. "I think the Volturi influenced my name. I think it used to be Matthew when I was human."

"That sucks."

He frowned; I noticed he did that a lot. "I guess."

I shook my head disdainfully. "You, sir, have got to learn what 'sucks' means. Actually, you've got to get your speech up to date on all this new, hip slang." I tried doing my best Gansta imitation. He just looked at me blankly.

"If you were human, I would insist you've had way too much coffee." He smirked. "But since the stuff is vile, I believe that it would be impossible."

I threw my hands up in surrender. "God. You're so formal!" I groaned, stalking away.

He chuckled. "Would you like it better if I was… what do they say? 'From the block'?" I shot a backwards glare at him.

"No. You couldn't pull it off if you wanted to," I challenged. He thought about that, and grabbed my arm, making me face him again.

"You're probably right," he admitted. His breath blew in my face. It was his number one weapon… besides the controlling everything about me thing. "I couldn't pull it off, nah. But…" His smile took a mysterious turn. I tried desperately to keep my face blank.

He leaned in, backing me towards the wall. It hit it and he placed both hands on either side of my head, a glinting in his red eyes.

I knew what his intentions were. Hell, how could I miss it? But I also knew he would respect what I said. So I could stop him if I wanted too… I think.

Truth was, I wasn't ready to kiss him. I was sure I'd be happy once it was done, over. Maybe even pleased. But I was only warming up to him, and kissing led to other things.

"Why did you burn the deer?" I asked quickly. He blinked, once, twice, three times, and the trance was over. He backed away, shaking his head.

"Why do you do that to me?" he growled. I started, pressing myself against the wall.

"Do what?" I asked. I seriously had no idea what he was talking about. Did he mean interrupt him? Or maybe something else?

"Tempt me like that!" he exclaimed. I gave him an incredulous look.

"I tempt you?" I asked in disbelief. "All I did was _look_ at you, twot."

"That's what scares me," he admitted reluctantly. I swallowed. I'd have to be more careful than I'd thought. If he was that entranced by me—when he'd only known me for a grand total of one day (unless you count the stalking me and drowning me thing)—than I'd have to make sure I didn't do anything else to make him want me.

Were vampires just more prone to lustful emotions? Who knew.

"I think I'm going to talk to… um, I have to—"

I sighed, which halted his stream of words. "Will you stop stuttering? I'm not mad at you. Now, tell me why you burned the deer."

He blinked again. "I burned it because even though the Volturi know that you're a… that you don't consume human blood, they are going to try and make you. I heard them talking about it before you came, when I was trying to get you alone. They said that if you're going to be one of them, you'll have to convert to our ways of life. But, again, I didn't really think it was quite fair."

"Matt," I said, and mentally cussed myself out. Stop _saying his name, you twot! _"Why are you being so nice to me?"

He sighed, a long, drawn our sound. "I'm not entirely sure, but I'll be sure to let you know when I figure it out, _homie_."

He grinned as he walked away, and I made myself a mental note, shaking my head.

Italian boys and Gansta accents don't mix.

**OOO**

**Okay, okay. 7 pages, that's long enough. **

**To answer a question:**

_**Mary**_**: Yes, Jasper **_**did**_** tell the Cullens where she went, but that is an outtake that I will post once this is done. **

**Another thing, if you guys aren't seeing the chemistry between Matty (oops, I mean MATT) and Cara by now, go beat yourself up with frying pan. Okok, not really. But that would make me feel as if I'm not getting the message across, and that would mean I'm a bad writer, so DON"T hit yourself with the frying pan, but don't tell me you don't see it.**

**PS: not edited, sorry. **

**Jamie**


	4. Chasing Cars

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 4: Chasing Cars _

**Chasing Cars: Snow Patrol**

**Okay, my friend ****demanded**** that things speed up, because she REALLY wants to help write. So, keep in mind, I didn't write anything beyond kissing… if there's anything beyond kissing in here. (I'm scared of Julie, the friend.)**

**OOO**

The next few days passed and I still hadn't seen Matt.

Well, the pond hadn't done much for me. Sure, I was free of dirt, but I wasn't clean. So, it was shower time.

What was really pissing me off was that Matthias would always disappear before I was done talking with him. I had wanted to get to know him better, but every little touchy subject reference, and he was streaking down the hallways before I could yell "Wait!"

_Boys_.

The same phrase popped into my mind as it had a thousand times with Matt: What a freak. I tried desperately to shove the bad image of the Gangsta Italian from my mind. What was he—the Mafia?

I laughed, considering how close to the truth that was.

I entered my room and stopped as I was taking off a jacket the maid had given me. Matt was lounging on the bed, reading a book in Latin, but his eyes had snapped up when he heard me.

"Cara?" he asked slowly at my frozen state. My body was in lockdown, and if I was human, I would be blushing.

I had been about to take a bath when Matt was in the next room, and he could hear every little splash of water. And, at the moment, I had paused in taking off my jacket, and there was just a tank top beneath.

Now, I normally didn't care about wearing tank tops, but Matt freaked when I just looked at him. How would he react when I looked like I was stripping?

He blinked furiously, and I realized I was right. His eyes had gone slightly darker, and I could see he was struggling to keep his eyes on my face. I sighed, shrugging my jacket back on.

"I'm sorry, Matt," I said. I was going to give up on not saying his name. He shook his head.

"No, no," he protested, "it's not your fault. I should be sorry."

"It's not your fault I'm so sexy," I said jokingly, but immediately regretted it as he grimaced.

"I don't know how you do it," he said finally, shaking his head in surrender. I frowned. "I mean, I think I have myself under control, and then you do one little thing that makes me…"

He trailed off, probably not wanting to upset me. I gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Thing is, I'm dying to… have you, and I just can't." He was practically on the verge of telling me everything. I sat down on the bed next to him, and murmured,

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he growled, more at himself than me.

"But it is," I disagreed.

"It's not," he argued hotly, glaring at me.

"Is too," I continued, disbelief in my mind that he would argue.

"Is not!" he finished, exasperated.

"Is too," I mumbled. I could feel his glare on my back as I turned from him.

"Is not!"

I turned back to him, glaring at him full on. "Is too, and I'll prove it!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" he asked. "And how are you going to—,"

He cut off as I walked over to him, grabbed his face in anger, and pressed my parted lips to his. He froze at first, but then he responded, hands snaking across and around my waist, crushing me to him, and I found that I _did_ enjoy this, even if I didn't exactly love Matt.

But just as I was about to get too much temptation, he pulled away, pushing me back, and flopped against the bed. I knew he felt it too—his eyes were bright, and he was breathing deeply, raggedly, when he didn't even need to. I sat on the bed, and he locked eyes with me.

"Let's not do that in front of the others," he suggested quietly. I looked at him in confusion.

"Isn't this what they want?" I asked timidly. I wasn't sure what the Volturi wanted from me.

"Not… exactly."

I waited patiently. He sighed, realizing I was waiting.

"I guess since you kissed me I owe you an explanation, right?" he asked sarcastically. I nodded, a smirk on my face. My decision was having it's advantages. "Well, they think you'll have great power, coming from such two… for lack of a better term, accomplished vampires. Your mother—" My heart clenched. "—she was able to keep her mind private, even to you dad, who could read a mind a few miles away. Even to Aro, who could see every thought, every memory you've ever had—or will have, dammit—on contact."

_I was right,_ I thought grimly. _I'm glad I never shook his hand._

"But that's not me," I said after a while. "Edward can read my every thought. I'm not much like my mother—at least in terms of mind. Do they even realize that?"

"I think they're too stubborn too," he said softly, and I felt anguished. His tone was tinted with surrender. Did that mean he couldn't help me?

"But that's why I wanted to be your… slave," I added meekly. "So I wouldn't have to run with the Vampire Mafia!"

I could see he was trying desperately not to laugh; his lips were twitching futilely. "V-Vampire _Mafia_?" he asked, trying to hold in his laughter.

I glared. For once, I had not been sarcastic or joking. I had been serious, and—I would never admit this—but afraid. "It's not funny," I whispered furiously. He stopped at once.

"I'm sorry, Cara," he whispered back. I felt my dead heart warm slightly. "I didn't realize it bothered you that much."

I sighed. Cat's out of the bag. I guess I had to be honest with someone like Matthias. He was the Devil, but I was his Witch, having sold my sold to him for eternity.

"But it does," I admitted, matching his soft tone. "I only want to relax." I laughed bitterly. "Something I've never been able to do in my entire life."

"Maybe I should kiss you again?"

"Yeah, and maybe I should punch your face in like last time," I retorted, glaring back at him. His smile faltered slightly, and I instantly felt horrible. "I didn't mean it," I mumbled. "Natural reflex."

"I see," he muttered, pulling away. I grimaced.

"Please, don't," I pleaded, but he was already getting off the bed.

"No, I'm not going to push you either way." His expression had gone back to cold.

"Matt!" I called angrily. "You're being an ass!"

"Am I?"

"Damn right you are!" I hissed, surprised by my own intensity. "Maybe I _should_ kiss you again."

"You don't want to."

He flipping thought I was bluffing. I glared at him as I grabbed his jaw again, pulling it down to mine, locking our lips together. He responded somewhat differently than I intended. He stiffened slightly, reluctantly, pulling back.

"No," he said. "Don't kiss me."

It was a command. I felt myself restricted, angrily, a growled out a, "Screw you."

"You don't want to," he explained. "You're making a mistake."

I glared at him. I hated the control he held over me. I wondered if he said, "Love me," would I loose all that I felt for him now? The hate? The annoyance? The humility at his Gangsta attempts? I wondered if he said, "Sleep with me," would I want to?

I just wanted to kiss him. Was it such a big deal? Now that I had, I wanted to kiss him, and I knew he wanted it too. Why was he holding back.

He sighed, averting his eyes. "You don't understand. Someday, you'll get the hell out of here, and when that happens, you don't want to be tied here by lust, or if you even form a sense of 'like' for me by then…"

I exhaled sharply. "Boys are complete idiots," I said at last. "If you think I will ever get myself out of here, you're full of shit." He raised an eyebrow.

"And, _why_ exactly am I full of… shit?" He blinked a few times, shaking his head.

I threw my hands up. "Because, dear Matt, you seem to be missing the fact that I am in the midst of the Royal Vampiric family. Doy! They aren't just gonna give me a credit card, and say, 'Have fun with your life!'. Dude, I'm obviously more important to them than that, or they wouldn't want me in the first place."

He rolled his eyes. "Not what I meant." When I waited, he ended up dropping the subject.

I felt the void opening. I felt him slipping away. No, I didn't love him, but I did want to… well, I guess you could say I was "in lust" with him. I wanted to suddenly touch him, like he had a hold over my body instead of my mind.

But he had demanded I not kiss him. I wanted to punch him. I settled for a slap.

He staggered slightly, then he glared at me, eyes blood red. Angry.

"Are you still set on hitting me?" he growled. "Or are you done yet?"

"I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop preventing me from what I like to do and what I don't like to do." I flashed a blinding smile. "That would be great."

"I'm just trying to keep you from making—"

"A huge mistake?" I guessed. "I have heard that a gazillion times. I can recognize a mistake from a mile away."

He glared. "So can I."

I gave up. "Fine," I muttered. "Control my life. See if I give a damn!" I looked away, facing the wall. "Oh yeah, and don't worry, you only got what you wanted, finally. Lusting over me till I snapped. But no, that isn't enough for dear Matty. He has to take it away too!"

I heard his annoyance—an intake of breath. "I-I don't mean it like that. I'm not trying to make you feel robbed in any way. I just want…"

He trailed off, and I had a hunch about what he was going to say, but I knew he'd never say it. And he probably didn't even feel that way.

He laid a hand on my shoulder. I grabbed it and held it to my side. I wanted to throw something, watch it shatter against the wall. "I just wanted to get to know you," I whispered, and then I ran before he could command me stay.

**OOO**

**Sorry it took so long, guys! I had three major papers I had to write! **

**Biology. Worst subject ever. Let me tell you.**

**Yeah, so they went up a step, and Cara's an emotional wreck. Well, she'll explain it soon, why she cares. She doesn't love him yet, trust me. And I don't know if she will. XD. I'll leave you to ponder.**

**Jamie.**


	5. Breakdown

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 5: Fall Behind Me_

**Breakdown—Daughtry.**

**GUYS, if she was in love with Matt, then she'd be crazy. He ran her into a lake, suggested having sex in the middle of a parking lot, only jokingly though. But still. And he ran her over on her bike. **_**And**_** he has complete control over her. So, if she was in love with him, that would not be Cara. OK? Sure, she's attracted to him. Sure, she wants to know him. But that doesn't mean that she loves him. For the record, "LOVE" is a very loosely-used word these days. Neither of them are willing to put their life down for the other, nor willing to say it to each other, because they don't. well, I mean, just read.**

**OOO**

I kicked a chair, sending it flying into the wall. _JERK!_

I gritted my teeth, stalking around the palace like a two-year-old following their mother around just to lie down in front of them and throw a tantrum. I didn't care about tantrums, though. I was a hurricane, destroying everything I could in my path. I was so pissed.

I sunk to the floor, holding my head in my hands. Everything I did was wrong. Everything I said was wrong. Even the things I frikken _looked_ at was wrong.

I snarled a few explicit profanities under my breath, but a twinkle-like laugh cut me short.

I glanced up. _Jane_.

"Cara, right?" she asked politely. I didn't fall for it. I kept up my guard.

"Yes."

"Well, Cara," she continued, "I want to try a little bit of an… experiment. Actually, it's more Aro. He wants to see if you live up to his… expectations."

In other fantabulous words: _He wants to torture you until you snap!_ Won't that be fun?

"Why do I need to live up to expectations? I don't belong to the Volturi. I belong to Matthias." I met her polite gaze evenly. It was a façade. I knew those things.

Her eyes flashed. "Matthias belongs to the Volturi by contract. Therefore, you belong to us, too."

"Bullshit."

Her eyes widened, but then her gaze became furious. "I suggest you accompany me to where Aro is at the moment," she commanded in a clipped tone.

"I'll be there soon," I replied, just as coldly. She turned on her heel and left, her face stony.

_What a bitch,_ I thought. Boy, was I one for common courtesy.

I got up and followed her, dreading the pain that was going to follow. I had one of those damn hunches that Jane caused pain. My father had never talked about her, but…

How did I know?

I shook my head as Jane turned a corner. Oh well, I would ponder it later.

"Cara!"

I kept walking. _Go away._

"Cara, stop!" Matt called. I felt my legs tumble and I hit the floor. I exhaled loudly, unsticking my legs and brushing back the hair from my face. I glanced up at Matt, who looked apologetic. "Oops?" he said, grimacing.

"Oops?" I asked. "Well your 'oops' just sent me crashing to the floor!"

He blinked a few times before holding out a hand. I deliberately ignored it, getting up on my own and straightening my blouse. He chuckled as I ran my hand through my hair.

"I really am sorry. I have to be careful about what I say," he admitted as I began walking. "I didn't know you were so clumsy."

I glared at him over my shoulder. "Oh yeah, tell a girl she's clumsy. Great way to make up for tripping somebody!" I continued sarcastically "I should add that to my book."

He ignored me. "Where are you going?" he asked as we turned a corner. Jane was long-gone.

I glanced at him warily, suddenly afraid of his reaction. "Jane said Aro wanted to… see me." I left out the parts about the experiments.

His eyes narrowed. "Why?" I slid away from him as if he were crazy. I was joking, but he grabbed my arm. "Why?" he repeated.

I mentally kicked myself. "Um… well…"

"Tell me why, Cara."

Right then, he scared me. I would never admit it, but he did. His eyes, usually a disturbing, but beautiful ruby, were now black ice. His face was stony, like Jane's, but instead there was also some slight panic.

I blurted out the word, "Experiments." His eyes widened a fraction before he grabbed my arms and spun me back to the place where I'd fallen.

"Experiments?" he hissed. "What the—"

"Matthias?" came Jane's sickly-sweet voice. "Not exceptionally polite to keep Aro waiting."

The glare he sent her was one of pure loathing, of pure hatred. It would have sent me running for cover, and I was usually good at stare-offs. But Jane just stood there calmly.

"This is not the time for your temper," she said smoothly. "It is not your place to defy Aro's wishes."

"Torture was not part of the deal, Jane." Matt's voice was ice-cold. Frigidly heated. Jane was still unfazed.

"Matthias," she warned, voice no longer pleasant. It was hard, matching his. I scooted away from the both of them as discreetly as possible. If I was still with my family, I doubted torture would be on their top-ten list. So much for Vampire Royalty. Psh.

"No," he growled. "We don't know if she's like Isabella."

"That is the purpose of the exercise," Jane sighed. She frowned slightly, a stone wrinkle appearing on her forehead. "It will only be a few moments. Nothing more."

Matt glanced at me, saw I was scooting away, but didn't try to stop me. He looked back at Jane. "It's barbaric," he insisted.

Jane raised an eyebrow. "You care about her? The measly newborn?"

"Hey!" I stomped my foot, cutting off whatever Matt had been about to say. "This measly newborn can kick your ass!"

"I'm sure," Jane remarked, sarcasm dripping from her tone. She looked back at Matt, who was glaring at me. I guessed I said something wrong… again. _Shocker_.

"Fine," I hissed. "I'll go." Matt glanced at me, disbelieving. Shocked. Angry. Oopsie?

"Spectacular." Jane flashed a smile, but I wasn't a warm, loving, or even pleased smile. It was a sadistic freak smile. Great…

She grabbed my wrist, and dragged me with her. As we passed by Matt, he glared at me. I mouthed, "It's for your own good, twot," but it just made him glare harder. I didn't know why he was so angry. I was the one getting tortured. Stupid boys.

"Cara," he called suddenly. I glanced back at him, and he mouthed so Jane could not hear:

"Don't give in. Don't let them know how much it pains you, no matter what."

It was a command, and for once, I was glad he'd said it. Then his face disappeared around the corner, and I turned my stare ahead.

Jane opened a grand, tall door, and the pressure on my wrist increased. I almost cried out in pain—it felt like she was popping the bone out of place—but then the bracelet tightened, and so did my mouth.

Jane looked back up at me, as if surprised that I wasn't yelping. But then she looked back ahead, and kept dragging me down the hallway. Then she thrust open another door, and I saw the man I hated with every fiber of my being, no matter how polite he was.

Aro.

Man, why couldn't I punch royalty?

So I glared at him as Jane pushed me forward. God, she had such strength for a tiny little freak. Aro smiled at me. I didn't smile back.

"Cara!" he exclaimed, as if delighted I was there. I resisted rolling my eyes. Idiotic, freaky, twotty vampire… "Such a wonderful surprise!"

I blinked. "Surprise?" Okay, either Jane had been lying her sadistic butt off, or Aro was trying to confuse me. Either way wasn't that tempting.

Oh wow. There was that word again. It reminded me of the kiss. I wanted Matt to kiss me like that. I didn't love him, hell no. He was an ass. A jerk. But he was hot. I saw why American girls obsessed over the Italian guys now.

I wrenched my focus back on Aro. He was still smiling that dorky smile. I scowled, but it didn't slip off his face.

"You wanted to conduct a few experiments?" I asked, bored. I felt like a stinking gerbil.

"Oh, yes!" he chattered. I sighed, placing a hand on my hip. "Won't this be fun, Jane?"

"Extremely," she agreed. There was a double meaning to her words.

"Very well, Jane. If you will."

I turned to the evil little vampire as a malicious grin spread across her face. She flashed it gleefully, then the pain in my head exploded.

I thought I was dying. It was worse than the transformation—I was experiencing it tenfold. I couldn't move, though, and I was dimly aware of the bracelet tightening with all it strength, burning me. But I didn't feel it. The pain in my head was enough.

"You may stop now, dear," Aro commanded after what seemed like an eternity. His voice sounded a world away, but for once I was relieved to hear his sickly-polite tone.

The pain vanished. And Jane was glaring at me. I glanced up at Aro, whose expression remained thoughtful. "Interesting," he said at last. "May I have your hand for a moment, please?"

I clutched my hand to my chest. "I'd rather not."

He contemplated that. "Very well, then. I guess I should respect your boundaries. You are, after all, Carlisle's granddaughter." I blinked. I hadn't thought he'd let me. "But later, if you please, I would greatly enjoy hearing your thoughts. I do wonder how it would be like to be part vampire your whole life?"

I blinked again. "Um, interesting," I suggested. He nodded.

"Of course I understand your sensitivity. After all, you did live your life on the move."

I tried to keep my eyes from narrowing as I stared at him. It was _his_ fault I'd been on the move! And he had the nerve to even bring it up? What. The. Hell?

"May I leave, please?" I asked, trying not to grind my teeth. He gracefully swept a hand towards the door and I sped as slowly as possible to the exit.

As soon as I was out of their sight and hearing, I collapsed, stomach clenching. Damn! What the hell was that about?

I pulled my knees into my chest and breathed deeply. The pain was no longer there, but the memory was haunting me. Not being able to move… Had that been Matt's doing, or Jane's? I shut my eyes tight, clenching my jaw.

I officially hated the Volturi.

**OOO**

I had stayed that way all day, wondering how I could get away from my fate before Aro decided it was time for a little handshake and tea. I grimaced. I really wished I could die.

I dragged my feet into the bedroom, and saw Matt folded in a chair to my left. He blinked when he saw me, then smiled. "Hey!" he began on a sarcastic note. "They're keeping you victims alive these days? Who knew?"

I ignored him, falling on the bed and curling up into a ball. I heard him curse under his breath.

"What the hell did they do?" he asked, his tone soft. I relaxed instantly, unbidden thoughts rushing through my head. "Did Jane get to you?"

"Sure," I said, my voice weary, "but she doesn't know it."

I could almost hear the gears working in his head as his weight settled on the mattress. "That's good," he allowed after a moment. I felt his hand on my shoulder, and didn't push it away. "Did you shake Aro's hand? Touch him at all?"

"No and no," I answered, feeling his hand brush over my arm. The touch sent a tingle through me.

"Good," he breathed. His hand went down my forearm, prying my hand away from my knees. He laced his fingers with mine, and brought my hand back to his face. I suppressed a shiver, my lust building.

He kissed my hand, and I tensed slightly. He _must've_ had a multiple personality disorder, with his demands of this morning and then—now—he suddenly decided to—

He brushed his finger across my check, turning me to face him, and I sighed, "Why?"

As I opened my eyes I saw shock glitter across his face, but he merely replied in an even tone: "Because I know you want it. Me? Not necessarily so, I don't believe. But whether you want to admit it or not, it's not like you can just walk around dealing with torture all the time, then sit here and dwell on it. It could also be true that I don't want to be torn to pieces in my sleep. That, or," he smiled, "I could've seen the mashed up table that you kicked against the wall."

I leaned against his hand. He was right. _Him_? I could care less about him. But he was a really good kisser, and hey, I'm an American. He was hot, too. His fingers trailed across my lips, and I exhaled. Then his lips were on mine, moving quickly but unrushed. His hands trailed lower, then I gave in.

**OOO**

**Okay, let me make one thing clear before you review. She still does not love him. If she loved him, that would be the end of the story, but I'm giving way too much away. –shmile-**

**Another thing: Julie wrote the more… UM, adultish parts. I don't do that, so yeah. –riminder, love and lust. NOT the same thing—.**

**Jamie**


	6. The Red

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 6: The Red_

**The Red--Chevelle**

**Guys, I am so sorry, but updates are going to have to be reduced to once or twice a week. I can't keep updating everyday like I used to. Too much stress now that I'm working on my other book (original, which I am never posted, due to the fact I wish to get it published) and school. So I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait. Don't lose hope, I will finish this story, but Tainted moist likely will be deleted. **

**Sorry for the wait:**

**OOO**

I lay there, darkness on me, my mind closed. Vague images flitted past my consciousness, strung together into a picture that made no sense. Then there was one that did.

"No, not the locket," I heard my voice say. I sounded breathless. The picture, though, was blurry, fuzzy around the edges. I could only hear voices.

"Why not?" It was Matt. His voice was strained, needy.

"Remember what I told you about Alice?" I asked as the view became more organized and stable. I could see two figures on a bed, the sheets twined with their legs. I realized with a jolt they were _au natural_.

"Oh," the man figure muttered. It was Matt's voice, but the figure was almost unrecognizable. Almost. His hair was messy and mussed, his body slightly flushed. As to why, I didn't know. His eyes held an emotion I could not decipher, and they were ice blue. _Odd_.

Then he was kissing the other figure's neck, fingering the topaz pendent connected to the locket. The other arm was around her waist.

"Thank you." I mentally blinked. My voice was coming from the woman's lips. The woman was _me_? I looked closer. It was.

"Cara," Matt moaned. His voice was far away.

I mumbled his name in consent, but then I felt a shake. The picture began to fade. I didn't want to leave it; It was too nice, too peaceful. "Cara!" Matt's voice was closer this time.

I opened my eyes and saw Matt's face right in front of mine. His now red eyes roamed over my features, my head in his palms. There was no longer silence though. I head something faint.

_Bump-bump_.

"Cara?" Matt whispered. His voice was no longer concerned, but had an edge. His eyes were hard, angry.

"What?" I asked irritably. I wanted to go back to sleep. And that was when it hit me.

_Bump-bump._ Sleep.

Vampires didn't sleep.

"What the hell happened?" I sat up, realized I was unclothed, and pulled the sheets up to my chest. Matt just shook his head. "Matt?"

"I've seen you, already, Cara. No need to act so modest." I blushed. Wait… _blush_? "Well," he said smugly. "At least you remember things."

"What happened?" I repeated more firmly. He gave me a grim, wry smile.

"I don't know, Cara," he said. "Why don't you tell me? All the sudden, after we were… done, you declared you had a headache and passed out. Which absolutely made no sense. I thought maybe it was an aftershock of Jane's torture or something. But then your heart started beating. Explain _that_."

I just looked at him.

"And you're still human," he commented.

"H-Human?" I stammered. "I can't be! The Volturi!" I was panicking, and Matt could see it. He went to lay a hand on my shoulder, but stopped halfway, his hand dropping.

"Try and change back. I can't touch you like this." His eyes began shifting, and I concentrated on being immortal, vampiric.

Pain flashed before my eyes and I cried out. I doubled over, holding in my chest as the pain rippled down my body. I felt Matt's hand on my shoulder. The pain ebbed before disappearing, and I opened my eyes.

"Well," he said oddly. "I guess that's your power. Not extremely useful, is it?"

"No," I agreed as he pushed me down. He looked at the locket.

"You do realize I'll never get over having to deal with that thing?" He looked up at me, his ice blue eyes piercing.

I grinned and he kissed me.

**OOO**

It became clear soon enough that the Volturi would not approve. So, we kept our distances, playing the role of lovers only in bed. And you couldn't even call us that. I could care less about his life, and he didn't care about mine. He had explained his reasons for pleasing me many times. And I believed them. Never would I will my life taken for his. Never would I care about his belonging to the Volturi. He had done too much to me.

And yet, we used each other. The two that hated the other's guts, and we used each other for pleasure and sex. Wow. I had never thought I'd stoop so low to my own hellish version of Wuthering Heights. (The title of that book sounded strangely like a Soap Opera. Huh.)

After nearly a year of staying in the city, it just so happened that whenever I was scared or startled, I flashed to my human form, before I was changed. So I kept my head in check around Jane and Lucas. The former scared the shit out of me. What had he wanted to do when Matt had been supposed to speak with Aro? It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

So, as I walked into the bedroom that night, it was no more than a few moments until two arms snaked around my waist, pulling me into a perfectly molded body. I moaned instantly—without thinking, it was so routine. His lips we at my ear as his hand brushed down my arm, as he hitched my leg up.

"God," I muttered, trying to keep my voice steady. "Can't you wait five minutes? You're like a teenager—raging hormones and all."

He chuckled lowly. "You can't be saying you want me to wait. And I _am_ a teenager, last I checked."

His hand caught at my side, and I arched against him. He turned me around so that he could kiss me, and stopped.

"Are you being human again?" he asked randomly.

I blinked. "Um, no."

"But your eyes are green."

I looked at his. It was hard to tell in the dark, but I could faintly see traces of ice. "And yours are blue. What's the problem?" I grabbed the hem of his shirt, but he brushed my hand away.

"What did you say?"

"I said, 'yours are blue,' you twot." I rolled my eyes.

"Blue?" he asked in disbelief, rushing to the mirror. I sighed.

"Isn't it supposed to be the girls who obsess over their appearances?" I scowled at his reflection. "Will you calm down? You're eyes have been blue every time we've had…" I broke off. I could think it, do it, but I couldn't say it.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he growled.

That's when all systems shut down. I felt myself go cold, angry, even hurt. I didn't say anything, I kept my face smooth, but I was sure my fury showed in my eyes. "Why—" he broke off as soon as he saw my face. "Cara—"

"No, no," I said, my voice slightly high. A human wouldn't be able to tell, but Matt did. "You're right. Why didn't I tell _you_ about _your_ eyes?"

He saw the ridiculousness of his statement. "I know. I…"

"What?" I asked. "Are you sorry? Do you apologize? No. You're too much of a man to. I guess I'll see you later."

As I headed to the door, I felt a pressure of my arm. I shook it off. "Cara, I am sorry. It's just… I haven't seen my eyes blue in nearly fifty years!"

"I missed the part where that's my problem." I yanked open the door and stepped out into the dark hallway. I briskly kept walking, and I instantly knew that I could never love him. I had hoped in the past few months, that maybe, just maybe we could be something a little more than lust partners, but I knew it was no longer possible. That one question had brought back everything he had done.

How could I love someone who had tried to kill me? Capture me? Control my every move? It was impossible. I couldn't trust him any longer.

As I collapsed into an empty room, I realized I felt empty. I didn't have anyone I could lean on. I had never needed it before—a shoulder. But, I guess now that I knew that there was no one available, it made me resentful. All my life I had pushed people away, and now I wanted them with me.

I missed my family. 

That's what I wanted—a family. People who wouldn't judge me for what or who I was. People who would accept me instead.

And now, now that was something I would never have.

"Lost?"

My head jerked up and I scanned the room. It was a male voice I had heard before, but it wasn't Matt's, Aro's, or even Demetri, who had spoken a few words to me.

My eyes fell on the owner of the voice, and my insides clenched. He was leaning against the door, blocking my exit, a smirk on his face.

I didn't dare say his name out loud. It scared me too much. Scare. The word sent shivers down my spine, and my head ached. I couldn't turn human, I willed myself. Not now. I hadn't seen him in a year. Why now?

What a stupid power I had.

"Lucas," he introduced, holding out his hand. I glanced at it, but did not shake it. He raised his eyebrows and withdrew the thing, shaking it as if it had been burned.

"I know who you are," I said casually. He nodded, as if this fact was already known to him.

"Of course. And why are you here? In the library?"

I didn't answer. Instead I hoisted myself to my feet and caught his eyes. "Please, move," I demanded. He laughed. I hated that laugh. The classical bad-guy laugh. The "I know something you don't know" laugh. I felt my eyes narrow.

"I don't think I will. You see, it's been a long time since I've had the slightest chance of having you alone, to myself. Catching on yet?"

I did catch on, unfortunately. But I stayed silent.

"So, I can't just 'move' and let you go. That's like, say… a shark biting a man in the water and deciding after he's obviously winning that it's no big deal. You can punch all you want, darling. I'm not moving."

"You do realize," I said slowly. "That—" I broke off, realizing everything.

I had been about to say "That I am a newborn." But recently a few things had been changing. My eyes weren't as red. They were changing, turning a rusty color, on their way to gold. I had felt my strength ebbing, my power's becoming more distinguished. I was more able to control myself lately.

He had really done his homework. I hadn't seen him in nearly a year because he was waiting for the opportune moment. He was waiting till I was weaker. And I was. The same dynamics of anatomy for humans applied to vampires. He was a guy, I was a girl. No offense, ladies, but men are stronger than females.

He knew what he was doing. I couldn't stop him.

"Ah, but I think _you_ realize." He gave a quick grin. "Human yet?"

Aw, shit. He knew I changed forms when I experienced human emotions, too. I stayed silent, willing myself to stay a vampire. His grin vanished.

"We can do this the hard way, or the easy way," he sighed. "Either isn't looking great for you."

"And you're not getting either way, dumbass."

And I was right. Men may be stronger, but women were smarter. On so many levels.

His eyes flashed and he lunged at me. Damn! I hadn't been expecting that. I screamed. Loud.

I felt my strength flicker, my eyes began to ache. I slashed my fingers across his face and tiny streams of venom dripped to the floor. He grabbed my arms and flung me against the wall, but in the process he ripped off my locket. Pain and stars exploded behind my eyes. I was definitely human again.

Through the slits my eyes had become, I watched him advance. The locket was a few feet to the left. Maybe I could reach it. No, I _had_ to. I couldn't let my family see me so defenseless.

Determination sparked through me. I felt myself become perfect, stronger, and better. I heaved myself to my feet and performed a roundhouse kick. He stumbled back and I watched him coldly, hands on hips. The perfect feminine, kickass pose.

"Oh, what then?" I asked. It was childish, but I was seriously pissed.

And it was also the worst thing I could possibly do. His red eyes flashed, and he slapped me. I stumbled back. _Slap me_? What the hell? Okay, that was even more childish an my comment. How cliché.

He grabbed my arm and held me steady, his other hand pulled at my hair. I tried to kick, but I couldn't reach. _Oh god,_ I thought. _Please no. Not without my locket._

"Lucas!"

The voice wasn't mine. It wasn't Aro's, Jane's, nor Demetri's.

It was Matt's.

I had never been more relieved to hear it. Never felt more safe. I felt myself being torn away from Lucas and strewn to the floor. And even if I did feel safe, I flickered back to human. I reached for my locket, and as I did so, something flashed to life in my mind.

"_I'm losing her," Alice was saying. _

"_No," Bella yelled. "Please Alice, no!"_

_Carlisle looked at Edward, whose eyes were anguished. "But we know where she is," he said strangely, reaching out to put his arm around a sobbing, but tearless Bella._

"_What do you mean?" Emmett asked. Jasper and Rosalie's eyes flickered to Edward._

"_Lucas," Carlisle said, "is a familiar face and name. From what I've gathered, he's part of the Volturi."_

"_What?" Bella whispered. "She's with the Volturi?"_

_There was a grim look on Edward's face. "Apparently. And the young man who came to Cara's aid… I've spoken with him before we came to Montana and found Cara. That's why I was so surprised in the parking lot when she punched him. It looks as if he's changed sides."_

_Bella looked confused. "What—?"_

_Alice groaned. "Damn. She's gone."_

My hand had closed around the locket. And, suddenly, I knew something. Turning human wasn't my only power. I knew things, too. _Hunches_, I used to call them. Because what I'd just experienced was no vision. No, it was something more accurate. Something that was set in stone, something happening. And what's more, it had not played out like a movie. I just suddenly knew it happened.

I was dimly aware of Matt pinning Lucas to the ground, spitting profanities in his face. I was also aware of my vision coming through long tunnels, blackening.

"Matt?" I chocked out. My throat felt tight. My hands shook.

I knew his head snapped up, that he looked at me, one hand pinning Lucas, the other reaching for me. "Hold on," he whispered, his voice far away.

I didn't hear him. My hand loosened on the locket. "Help me."

Black closed in as my eyes shut.

Man, did I hate the color black.

**OOO**

**This chapter was one of the most important. Took a long time to plan, long time to write,**

**So, again, sorry for the wait. Julie wrote that little part in the bedroom, I just provided the dialogue. So, kudos to Julie. **

**Again, she's been with the Volturi with a year. So, think about it. (PS: there's a spider-man quote in here somewhere. See if you can find it.)**

**Jamie.**


	7. Come Clean

**Sunrise**

_Chapter 7: Come Clean_

**Come Clean: Hilary Duff (old song, i know... just read.)**

**Okay, I've decided to add more drama. More… zest? I dunno. But let's just say it'll make more sense (HOPEFULLY) now that I've made this more one detail more clear. –shmile-.**

**OOO**

"_You little—" _

_I stumbled back as my cheek began to sting. I glanced up at my foster father (number 14). Classic: The drinker, the smoker, the drunk and stoned. I hadn't even done anything!_

"_Get the hell away from me!" I screamed, aiming a kick out. I missed. Kung Fu was suddenly stupid. _

_Instead, I tore out the door, racing down the driveway and down the road. _Go, go, go—

"Go!" I yelled, breaking free of my dream. I conked my head on Matt's, where he was dutifully sitting beside me. "Ow," I moaned, falling down on the pillows.

"Are you alright?" His voice was strange, something I'd never heard before. I blinked, my vision coming back. It was only the second time I'd woken up since the rabid Lucas attack.

The first time, I had woken up crying. and Matt had held me until I quieted. I had tried to go back to vampire-mode, feel less, but I couldn't. When I asked about it, he looked away and replied grimly, "maybe you're still shaken up about it, and I wouldn't blame you." He looked at me for a moment, searching for something, and then said: "But I think it's because that _bastard_ gave you a concussion."

"Oh," I had sniffled. He stroked my hair, and I felt content.

Now, I was slightly more composed, but I kept fainting each time I got up, or even sat up. Matt was right: I had a concussion, and seeing a doctor was freaking out of the question, I couldn't get it fixed. He had, though, the sense to put my locket back on.

"I have some news you might like," he said now, after a moment, adjusting himself so he was lying next to me. I looked at his face. It was impassive.

"And that would be?" I asked.

"Lucas has been dismissed from the Voilturi." He glanced at my face for my reaction. I felt my face whiten.

"As in… dead, dismissed?" I asked—no, pleaded. I didn't want him alive.

Matt shook his head. "No, just vampire legally dismissed. He hadn't done anything that threatened to expose us, therefore he isn't worthy of death row."

"Crap." I looked away, biting my lip. I had never felt so helpless against someone—not even Matt, and he could control everything I did. I felt tears sting my cheeks, and I quickly wiped them away. But Matt noticed.

Stupid humanity.

"Don't cry. He won't be back. I can make sure myself."

"I'm not crying," I muttered stubbornly, but my voice broke… twice. He didn't say anything more on the subject, but I changed it: "How come you're so close to me? I thought you were wimpy-man when it came to blood."

He shrugged. "It's not important."

I let it go, leaning into his embrace. "My power is so sucky," I said after a moment. I felt him stiffen, and as I glanced at his face, it was terrified. "Matt?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

He blinked. "Nothing."

I bit my lip, trying to add up everything, but before I could, Matt kicked a table. I flinched as he muttered something to fast for my human ears to comprehend. "What the hell?" I yelled as he was in midstream.

"You talk in your sleep." He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"So?"

"So…" I heard his teeth snap together. "So, you don't seem to stop dreaming about him, and his… attack."

I stared at him in confusion for a moment. "I wasn't dreaming about _him_," I said finally. "I was dreaming about _him_."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I was dreaming about foster father number fourteen. Drunk, stoned. Classic soap opera." I was in his arms so fast that I didn't even know why I was cold. At first. "What the—?"

His lips were on mine before I could finish my sentence. He moved them needily, aggressively, and almost… pained.

I liked it, yeah, sure. But I pulled away. "No! Not now. My head hurts, you _idiot_."

"I wasn't implying... _that_!" he exclaimed, eyes narrowed, lips tight.

I blinked, then averted my eyes. "Um… then what was—_were_ you thinking?"

He didn't say anything for a moment. He looked torn, as if he wanted to tell her a forbidden secret. "I was thinking…" He let out his breath in a huge gust of wind. "I was thinking… about my human life."

"You were not."

He ignored me. "I lied to you about not remembering anything," he said, looking at the farthest wall. "I was nineteen when Demetri and Jane found me dying. I had been… mobbed, you Americans would say? I was born into a rich family, one of the many reasons I was persuasive. People listened to me in fear of having their homes excavated. But some kids from the university I went to got fed up. I was walking home one night when one guy leapt at me, and you'd be surprised. I couldn't defend myself very well.

"So, I was dying." I realized he hadn't gone into the gory details. "And Jane showed up. At first, I could have sworn to God she was an angel, but then Demetri seemed like her opposite: the Devil himself. He had nearly an evil glint in his eyes as he sized me up, and for a moment, I could have sworn he was going to eat me. Completely absurd idea, of course. I hadn't heard of such things as canniblas for so many years." Matt seemed to forget I was there. His body was rigid, his voice oddly calm.

"The man started towards me, but the woman—Jane—held her arm out as if to stop him. 'No,' she said swiftly, giving him a half-glare. 'He's perfect.'"

"_Perfect for_ _what?_ I remember thinking. But as my consciousness began to slip into dark, I felt the pain, the fire. And then it was three days of hell." He glanced up, blinked, and looked at me. "I was immediately set to work as part of the guard, and I never knew of the Cullen's until the one named Edward tried to kill himself."

My eyes flew open. "What did you say?" I demanded. That could not have possibly happened. My father was _suicidal_? Practical _Edward_ was suicidal?

"Until the one named Edward tried to kill himself," Matt repeated, slightly annoyed. "Something about Isabella Swan—the one everyone's so obsessed about around here—jumping off a cliff."

I blinked rapidly. "_Excuse me_?" My voice cracked.

"Supposedly, it was a misunderstanding. She had just wanted to go cliff diving, or something? And he thought she died because of the psychic—" He broke off, looking at my confused face with sudden understanding. "Oh," he said after a moment, giving a sheepish smile. "I forgot that you were a Cullen. Sorry. You probably know all of this."

I stayed quiet for a little bit, letting it sink in. "Oh, boy."

"You don't?" he asked, astonished.

"Not exactly," I mumbled. I furrowed my brows. It made sense why my parents wouldn't let their own horror story of Romeo and Juliet leak into my consciousness. I mean… it was really rather disturbing. _No! She died! I must go kill myself!_ Of course, that's probably not the exact context of how it went down, but the intent was clear enough.

"Odd," allowed Matt after a moment. He brushed his finger across my cheek.

"You couldn't touch me when I was first human." I glanced at him suspiciously.

He shook his head. "I've gotten used to it over the year." He gave a half-smile, and I knew he was lying. There was something else to it. "You got _emotional_ a lot."

I flushed, my jaw set. "Shut up."

He chuckled. "I'm just stating the obvious. But… I'd like to know more, Cara. I want, _need_ to know more about you."

I looked away. "You did your research," I muttered bitterly.

"Not enough. Not the right kind. I don't know your perspective." His eyes were bright and he seemed eager. "Please."

I realized he hadn't given me a command in months. I contemplated that, wondered why. But he was waiting for my consent, so I began to tell him about everything—all my families that I'd dealt with, what had happened with the Blacks in particular, and what had happened with my real family. I left out certain details, ones that Aro culod use against me or those families. Just in case. By the end of my speech, Matt's eyes held a tint of sadness. But for what, I could not place.

"Why do you care?" I asked at last, and his face contorted into something.

"You're not very trusting, are you?" he muttered, his hand still stroking my cheek. "Even after a year, you don't trust me."

"How can I," I found myself saying as his eyes took on a haunted look, "when you could ask me to rip my self to shreds?"

"I would never—"

"Or maybe Aro, Marcus, Caius? Maybe _they_ could command you to do so? Do you really think you could defy them?" He looked away. It was answer enough. I crossed my arms tightly, looking down at him disdainfully. "And what if they made you order me to kill someone? Whether I love them or not? What if they made you demand me to kill Jaime, my own _brother_?"

His shoulders tensed. I stared at him, then, shock on my face. "Is that what they're planning?" He would not answer me. I felt myself, angrily shove him off me. I had only been able to do it because he'd been surprised. I threw my legs over the side of the bed and they touched the floor.

I stood up shakily, every fiber of my being willing me to lie back down. I fought it off and faced Matt, who was looking at me with what seemed like concern. "Is that what you wanted? The Quiliettes**(sp?)** murdered?"

His eyes blazed. "I never said anything about me wanting them dead. _Caius_ believes they are a threat to not only us, but—"

"You think they're going to come all the way to Italy?" I exclaimed, my eyes wide. "Are you completely… insane?" I forced the words out. I was getting dizzy.

"Cara?" Matt's voice was alarmed as I shut my eyes tight.

"I'm okay…" My voice sounded far off. I opened my eyes and the room was spinning, my vision blotting. "Just a little lightheaded."

I felt him swoop me up, but then I succumbed to the dark.

My dreams were filled with bleary images of Jaime, Alex, the rest of the pack, and even Freesia. I imagined all of them tortured by Jane. Little Alex, who had barely escaped last time. He would be approaching ten in a few months—he had been nearly nine when I left. I pictured him fazing into a younger wolf, forced into it.

I was sure I tossed and turned.

I gasped as I woke, and as I ran a hand through my hair, I noticed my cheeks were wet. I looked at the chair where I knew Matt was.

His eyes burned a slightly different color than I knew them. They were a rusty color, just under the red. They were the color mine had been at the time of being attacked by Lucas. Which was wierd.

I blinked at him, waiting for him to console me, but he made no move from the chair. He did not even put down his book.

It was easy to imagine his human self sitting there—well, besides the inhuman beauty. I pictured him with horn-rimmed glasses, blue eyes twinkling under the spectacles. I imagined him youthful and full of life. But then he broke the spell.

"You seem to have nightmares a lot," he said softly. I didn't answer, but stayed quiet.

I contemplated the reason for which he stayed seated. It didn't really make a lot of sense to me, but there was something in his eyes. He looked… afraid. He looked like he was scared of frightening me.

_What a silly thought_, I found myself thinking. I wasn't afraid of him.

My eyes flew open. When the hell did _that_ happen? I was always afraid of him. Even when we'd bedded each other, I'd been somewhat frightened of his rashness, his authority over me.

And just before I'd passed out, I'd ranted on to him about how I didn't trust him. What was my mind _doing_? Twisting itself into hysteria? I stared blankly at his own, horribly blank face, trying to comprehend what my conscious was doing to me.

I seriously hoped I was just confused from the concussion.

He closed his eyes, making sure they were away from me. "You know," he said, "I really haven't been completely honest with why--"

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," I interjected. "I know it's not your fault, but Jaime is the only person I've really been able to lean on—" His eyes flashed, so I added: "in the past. And I can't bare the thought of him dying, or worse."

"Do you love him?"

The words confused me. "Love him?" I asked. "Like as in marriage love?" He nodded. "Hardly," I continued, trying to keep from laughing. "That would be like my mother loving Emmett. Ew, gross, don't want to go there type of thing."

Something faded from his eyes. Was it jealousy?

Something clicked, then, and it horrified me. Why he had gotten upset at me for not telling him his eyes were blue, why he had raced to my rescue and made sure I'd stayed down the past week, why he'd suddenly been able to touch me as a human, why he told me of his humanity and wanted to know of mine, and even why he had told me not to show Jane and Aro how much their torture had hurt me… It all made sense. He cared about me, but it wasn't just that.

He _loved_ me.

I knew I was right, too. It was more than a hunch—it was my mind screaming the fact in my face. It was blaring in my ears. The earth split and blotches of color crashed in my eyes.

I couldn't let him know I knew, though. For two reasons. A) He obviously wasn't ready to tell me, and B) I didn't want to explain how I knew such a thing. I didn't want to explain my powers to anyone, and if Matt knew, then Aro could find out.

Aro already knew I could be human. I'd seen him over the past few months, and he was always questioning me of my existence, and of my former family. And every time I got up to leave from these chats, he would always offer me a spot on his guard. I still don't know why I kept refusing. Maybe I was scared, but the point was Aro didn't need to know about my hunches as well.

And it could be possible Matt didn't know what he felt yet. But I did, and I was severely afraid.

He walked over and crouched at the bed. "Go back to sleep, Cara," he said tenderly, and I felt my eyes droop shut as his lips pressed against my forehead.

**

* * *

****MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I love being evil! Well, it depends on how you guys see it. But hey, I didn't leave a cliffie. **

**Guys, check out **_**Morning Star**_** by ****Consultant by Day****. It's practically the real deal. There is one thing: It's rated M, but there's only one "lemon" in it, and I skipped over that part. But everyone is in character! It's Awesome!!!**

**Jamie.**


	8. More Than a Love Song

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 8: More Than A Love Song_

**More than a Love Song--Augustana**

**Okay, so I unfolded Matt's secret a little before I expected, but I think that's good. I'm not sure exactly how many more chapters there will be, but I do know what's happening. Probably one or two more Chapters until the next climax, at least after this one…. :) **

**To **_**anonymous unooo**_ **The reason Matt's eyes turn blue, and Cara's green… well, in other stories I've read that consider Edward and Bella, Edward's eyes turn green when he is… erm… "aroused". So, I liked the idea, thinking I would like Cara to see a slightly more human side of Matt, considering how sheltered he is about that aspect of his life. Of course, who knows if this actually happens? You'd have to ask Stephenie Meyer.**

**OOO**

My concussion got better soon enough ( a month or so). After all, even as my human self, I was stronger than the average man. I knew that my genetic make-up wasn't exactly the same as any random female on earth. No, I couldn't completely shut the venom out of my system. So as a human, I could easily beat a man Emmett's size… unless he was a vampire, at least.

I was walking down one of the numerous corridors, my vampiric, tawny-eyed self. And I was alone. But I wasn't too worried. I had my emotions currently in check.

But I began to wonder. The night of my attack, I'd seen my entire family fraught with worry. I had comprehended they were coming to get me, or at least I assumed. I concentrated on knowing about them again, and the answer rushed into my consciousness.

_Edward was speaking, pacing in the living room. "We can't just go waltzing into Italy, demanding a partially newborn vampire to come back with us."_

"_Sure we can!" Emmett argued, rolling his eyes. "C'mon Ed, you never let us have any fun."_

_Bella glowered at him. "You call going to Italy to get massacred _fun_?" Emmett nodded hugely, a grin appearing on his face. Bella sighed. "You have issues."_

_Alice shook her head. "It's out of the question. I still can't see Cara, and I still don't know why. Unless there's a werewolf there in the castle, I can't come up with a good reason. But what I'm saying is, if I can't see her, than I don't think we should risk angering the Volturi."_

_Edward muttered something under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alice is right," he said at last, voice clearly frustrated. "But we need to figure it out soon. And a werewolf in the castle doesn't make any sense. First off, if would be a dead werewolf, with the Volturi and all. Secondly, we wouldn't be able to see Aro, Jane, or the rest of the Brady Bunch."_

_Rosalie had stayed quiet, but then she spoke. Her voice, so like bells, echoed truthfully across the room as she tossed her blonde locks behind her shoulders. "Isn't her 'brother' that Jaime boy? The werewolf?"_

_Edward's head snapped up. "Rose, you're a genius! I can't believe I didn't think of that!"_

"_What?" Alice asked, annoyed that she couldn't see anything._

_Bella glanced at my father's face sourly. "I'm clueless."_

_Emmett said nothing, only frowned._

"_Jaime must have given her something to keep with her that held something of his, but not just anything." Edward grinned, his eyes bright of finally solving the mystery. "Rosalie, you hit the nail on the head! He must have given her something of him to put in the locket, now that I think about it. Alice!" He snapped his attention to her. "When you saw Cara, did she have the locket on?"_

_Alice looked confused. "No…"_

"_Exactly!" Edward exclaimed, triumphant. "Think about it! She's had that locket since she was ten. She hasn't taken it off since. Put it together, Alice. That locket can hold things. What if the dog gave her a figment of his skin—?"_

"_Um, ew." Emmett pretended to gag. Edward ignored him._

"—_Or maybe a lock of his hair? As long as it was in the locket, and the locket was touching some part of her, it would be just like being in the midst of a werewolf!"_

_Understanding lit Alice's face. "I see your point!" she said, grinning. "And knowing Cara—"_

"_Knowing Cara she would have asked Jaime to give her that lock of hair," Bella finished. "She would have practically forced him into promising not to spill a word. All that time that she acted as if she despised us—"_

"_She really cared about our well-being," finished Edward, and I knew he knew that fact before, despite my anger and hurt towards him. I promised myself that if I ever laid eyes on any of them again, I would repay my selfishness._

"_That's the ridiculous Bella trait we all know and love," Emmett laughed, reaching over to muss my mother's hair. _

"_Wait until Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme know!" Alice was grinning, her mood ecstatic. But as she saw my father's face, the smile slid off hers. _

"_No, they can definitely know," answered Edward, probably to some unspoken thought. "But it doesn't mean we're any closer to rescuing her. Alice, I'm glad we finally know the problem, but I think it would be best if we spoke to the wolf himself."_

_Alice nodded. "I can't see anything of course, but Cara told me once that Jaime's pretty understanding. I don't think we'll have a major problem talking to him."_

I was still staring at the far wall. Again, what had just come to my knowledge had not played out easily like a vision, not even a series of pictures or a timeline of voices. No, I just knew what had happened, just like that.

It was scary really, the amount of knowledge I had at my fingertips. More than Edward… or even Aro. More than Carlisle, who had studied thousands of subjects over the hundreds of years he'd been alive.

I was a know-it-all, to put it bluntly.

I could never let anyone know of this power, I decided immediately. If Aro knew, he'd never let me go, keeping me bound to Matt. He'd order Matt to order me to find out something, and that would be it. He'd just have to touch my hand, and he'd know.

I shivered involuntarily, continuing down the hall. I knew Matt was in a meeting with the "Elders" as I liked to call them. They were telling him something I probably did now want to hear, and I didn't want to accidentally stumble upon the answer—whatever it was—so I guided my attention back to what I'd recently learned.

They freaking knew what it was that kept me concealed. _Damn_! My god, why did they have to have their neat little vampire abilities? Noticing everything right and left?

I harrumphed as I turned a corner. And they were going to talk to Jaime? Poor Jaime, forced to kept my departure a secret. I wondered if he would give in.

He was currently talking to Freesia. I could feel it.

I rounded another corner and was instantly greeted with the biggest door I had ever seen. Ever.

I found myself gazing at it, almost in a trance, until it burst open. An angry Matthias stalked through the threshold, snarling under his breath. I opened my mouth to ask what the hell was up with him, when he growled:

"Don't speak to me." Each word had been enunciated clearly. His eyes were on fire, blazing with fury.

I smirked, following him down the hall. He was walking briskly, his whole body rigid. I rolled my eyes, knowing his anger was not directed at me and probably over something extremely childish.

Plus, I had been finding ways around his orders.

"Well, deary me," I spoke loudly, trying to keep from laughing as his shoulders rose in frustration. "I can't believe how mad he is. Can you, Earring?"

His steps faltered. He should have just ordered me not to speak in general.

"Well, Earring, I was just going to tell him that I missed him. That I've been slightly lonely at night while he patrols. That I have no music to listen to in order to sway my thoughts. I'm extremely bored, at the moment, Earring. Whatever shall I do?"

His footsteps halted. I knew I was getting to him. I could see the indecision in his body. His shoulders were descending back into their proper place.

I laid my hand on his arm. I felt him sag under my touch. "I wonder, Earring, if I'm aloud to speak to His grace yet."

He knew me well enough to realize I was extremely agitated. "I'm sorry," he said instantly. "I wasn't angry at you. It was inexcusable for me to say that."

"Earring!" I exclaimed, inwardly rolling my eyes. "He speaks! Still, though, he does not answer me."

I saw a bemused smile tug at his lips. He turned fully around and planted a kiss on my waiting mouth, his arm tight around my waist.

When he was finished, he said, "I believe you can speak to me now… If you'd still like to?"

"What? Does it take a kiss to woo the mighty Matthias?" He grimaced at the name, but rolled his eyes at me. I pressed on. "Why were you so angry? I don't think I've seen you such since Lucas—"

"Don't mention that affair, please," Matt said smoothly. "I don't think I want you having nightmares anymore."

"I haven't slept in a month!" I protested, angry. I'd refused to become human again.

But he didn't answer, and I knew why. That night haunted him severely. He still thought it was his fault. He had told me himself—well, there was that, and the fact that I knew anything I wanted to.

He had thought I was going to die. I could see it when he looked at me, the disturbed look there. He was so afraid of losing me, and I knew why.

He loved me.

Which sent me onto more of my mental ranting. Why did he love me? What was there of me to love? I could understand my family's love for me, Jaime's brotherly love for me, but _love-love_? As in, "knight in shining armor" love? It made no sense. I was bitter, stubborn, sarcastic, untrusting, un_lik_able, and a whole bunch of other stuff that didn't make sense. He couldn't even trust me, because—

And trust! I couldn't get myself started on _him_. Immature, stubborn, somewhat vile, controlling, and… he totally cared about me. Damn karma.

I realized we were headed not towards the room, but somewhere else entirely. "Where are we going?" I asked, letting him drag me forward.

He smiled back at me, just walking faster. "I figured you might want a change of scenery. You've been in the castle for a while now." I noticed he didn't exactly say how long that while was, which happened to be since I was attacked by Lucas.

"Can you be human for a moment?" he requested, his voice like silk. I shook my head stubbornly and he sighed. "Please," he added, "just for a moment."

I knew that if I didn't want to be human, he wouldn't force me to. But besides that fact, I guessed I could humor him. "Fine," I muttered, and slight pain coursed through my body. I felt my strength leave me and my knees sag. Matt held me up.

"Are you alright?" I heard him ask. I still had my eyes closed.

"Yeah." My answer was shaky, my legs unsteady. It was strange—I was supposed to be over the concussion. I didn't let my pain show though. Instead I grinned into his anxious face, and he swept me into his arms.

"Close your eyes?" he whispered to me, voice like silk. I succumbed to him, glad it was not a command.

I felt the wind whip my bangs across my face, Matt's arms encircled around me. And it made it all the sweeter, knowing he wasn't doing this because he had to. He was doing it because he wanted to. Because he loved me.

I hadn't even realized we'd stopped until he asked, "What're you smiling about?"

I felt my eyes flutter open, and I was indeed smiling. I looked around, a goofy grin plastered on my face. We were in the middle of a lush forest, the leaves creating an odd green cast on our skin. Matt sparkled slightly in the few sunrays that penetrated the leafy fortress.

He set me down and glanced around, his blinding smile erasing the sun. Matt glanced at me, his smile vanishing into a smirk. His eyes took on a twinkling hint, and that's when I noticed it again.

His eyes were no longer the red I'd come to know, but a rusty gold. I remembered seeing them before, when I was unable to change, unable to even get up without being a complete wuss. He hadn't completely crossed over to the human-friendly diet, but he was getting there.

"Why?" I asked. He knew what I was talking about at once—I could see it in his eyes. But he said nothing. His smirk only deepened as he scooped me up again, and then I was flying through the air.

I landed with a splash.

I gasped, coming up for air. I wiped my face, shocked at what he had done. My teeth chattered as I glanced at my ruined outfit. Oh, Alice would kill him if she saw what he'd done to it. I glared up at him through dew-dropped lashes. "You sick, arrogant, foolish—"

I'm still not quite sure how he managed it, but almost as soon as the words left my mouth, his lips were on mine, slowly moving, torturing me. My arms moved of their own free will, wrapping themselves around his neck.

He pulled away, almost reluctantly. "It's been a while," he muttered.

"Captain Obvious strikes again," I said, rolling my eyes. He looked back at me, laughter in his eyes. His _blue-flecked_ eyes. I was sure mine were green as well.

"You're catching cold," he said after a moment, and I glanced down at myself—slightly transparent T-shirt, designer blue jeans heavy with water. Did he expect me to strip or something? "I suggest you either turn back into your vampire self or we get out."

I scowled at him. He knew I didn't want to get out of the crystal pond, or away from him. I felt my strength renewing itself as my skin lightened, became shimmery. I closed my eyes as he kissed me again.

**OOO**

I had changed clothes and was walking down to the court room. I was supposed to meet Aro here in thirty minutes. I didn't think he'd mind if I was early. But as I ascended the stairs, I heard voices, which sounded like Caius and Demetri.

"…He's getting extremely attached to the girl," Caius was saying in a heated whisper. "If we keep letting it go on we may not be able to exterminate the Quileutes."

I bit my lip. I had completely forgotten about them. How could I have _forgotten_? What type of sister was I?

"Yes, but Aro doesn't think we should take out the plan—"

"If we wait any longer, he'll do anything he can to protect her," Caius growled, and I knew he was speaking of Matt. "Emotionally, and physically. He told us how attached she is to the mutts. If we kill them—"

"I do not," said a sickly kind voice, "believe this is your problem to consider." Aro.

I pictured the two jumping. "Sorry, Master. Forgive us," they said in union. I blanched. What suck-ups.

I had an idea then. I still wasn't sure if Alice could hear things in her visions, but it was worth a try. I ripped off the locket, setting it on the ground, and muttered, "Alice, if you can see me, don't do anything. Listen."

I really hoped it would work.

"We will take out these wolves when the girl doesn't know," Aro directed. "When she least expects it, gentlemen. She could tip off the psychic, and that would not turn things to our favor. We need the element of surprise, not the element of foolishness. I need this carried out as discreetly as possible. It is not likely that an entire missing family will go unnoticed. Do you comprehend?"

I bit my lip. Jaime was in trouble, and one couldn't elude the Volturi for long, not to mention a whole pack. I had to do something.

I closed my eyes and exhaled. "Alice," I said in a nearly mute whisper, "don't worry about me at the moment. I'm fine. Get help for Jaime and his family. I didn't do this to save Alex for nothing. I promise I'm fine. I promise—"

"Who are you speaking to?" asked Matt's voice from behind me.

"—to find a way." I glanced up. He was sitting there, a puzzled expression on his face. He glanced at the locket, sitting on the ground.

"Were you contacting anyone in particular?" he asked, voice calm. But there was pure hurt beneath it. I had to cover up quickly.

"Alice," I said smoothly and honestly.

"Were you asking her to come and rescue you?" His question cut me; I did not ask people to help _me_. I scowled up at him.

"No, actually the opposite. I was telling her anything she'd seen when my locket fell off meant nothing, and _not_ to come." That was half-true, at least. I didn't dare mention the part about the wolves. I still made no move to pick up the locket.

His expression had not softened. I felt a pang of guilt rush through me—I'd never really lied to him before. It felt alien, strange. I tried not to look away from his penetrating stare, stripping the truth off me. I seriously hoped he didn't command the truth out of me.

"I'm not going to make you tell me whatever it is, but I really would appreciate it," he allowed. I glared at him. He just _had_ to go with the guilt trip.

"Later," I forced out through clenched teeth. He raised an eyebrow at me, and I jerked my head upwards, toward the top of the stairs. His eyes went wide.

He grabbed my locket and thrust it at me. As soon as I caught it, I knew Alice was snarling in frustration at losing my future again. I fastened it around my neck and he mouthed, "Let's beat it."

He disappeared in a flurry of wind, and I sighed, racing after him. I knew where he'd be. I had no idea why he was being so… weird. He was acting as if he knew what they were talking about and didn't want me to hear it. Well, too late buddy.

I arrived after him, closing the door to our room behind me. He did not glance up from his consistent pacing, one hand on his chin, and the other crossed beneath his chest. I sighed loudly. Usually, this broke him from his trance. Not this time.

"What the hell?" I said finally, rolling my eyes.

He didn't meet my eyes, but stopped his pacing. His back was to me, and I could tell just from his posture that he was upset. "Were you contacting Alice to tell her to come and get you?" Translation: Were you really planning on leaving?

"No."

My voice had been cold, angry. I was not angry at him, but myself. The shock of learning of Jaime's sure extermination was surfacing, and I bit my lip, screwing my eyes shut. A dry sob escaped from my body, and I tried to keep it quieter.

But my cry had been loud, even to a human's ears, and Matt's head whipped around to the sound. He knelt down beside me (when had I gotten on the floor?) and held me. I felt my strength ebbing, a flash of fiery pain as I succumbed to my feeble, emotional human self. I felt tears slide down my cheeks and soak Matt's shirt.

"Please," he said after a moment, his voice pained, "don't cry. I hate to see you upset. I'm sorry."

It was the first thing he had every apologized for, but it was a worthless effort. I wasn't mad at him, I was enraged at myself. Enraged for allowing myself to stay so long. I could've gone back numerous times, and I had chosen to stay for no reason.

No, there was a reason alright. My fear.

"I-I'm not u-upset with y-you," I choked out between sobs. He stroked my back comfortingly. "I-It's _me_."

"What about you?" he said, voice slightly stiff. He didn't like talking about my flaws.

"They're going to hurt Jaime because of me!" I cried, my sobs melting away in my anger. "I can't believe I didn't see it! Vile bastards!"

He'd never seen me this angry—that was clear as he looked at me, a look of shock on his face. I got up and tried to punch the wall, but Matt's hand caught my fist before impact. "Hurting yourself," he growled lowly, "is not going to help the situation."

I looked back at his face, which was a mask of shock and anger… and even a little fear. Before I could analyze it further, he scooped me up and placed me on the bed. I rocked back and forth as he sat next to me, pulling me against him. "When I said not to cry, I didn't mean for you to start going emo," he told me, stroking my hair. His attempt at teasing did nothing to stop my tears.

I didn't want Jaime to die, and I still had no idea whether Alice had seen me or not, which was unacceptable. I couldn't risk Jaime's safety. Not Jaime's, Alex's, or the rest of the pack's. I needed to warn them.

I concentrated on seeing what Alice was doing, but I was too devastated to remain my focus. I let a cover of sleep sliver over my exhaustion, but not before I heard Matt demand, "Cara, however bad this may seem, promise me you won't try to take it into your own hands. Promise me."

The golden bracelet glowed as I mumbled, "I promise."

**OOO**

**I told you guys there would be a lot of climaxes. –sigh- . Anyway, YES, I changed my name to ****Edward'sBringingSexyBack****, because it's just so true. But hey, to those of you who gave me nicknames, relax. I will always be ****DaZzLeR bEaR**

**And I am so excited!!! The story's finally going!!!! AHHHHHH! YAY!**

**K, sorry. I know there's something else I'm supposed to say, but oh well.**

**Jamie.**


	9. Leave Out All The Rest

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 9: Leave Out All The Rest_

**I am so having fun with this story. SO MUCH FUN. I'm glad you all like it so much. It means a lot to me!**

**OOO**

"_Cara!" Matt called helplessly, grabbing my hand. "Please! Don't do this!"_

_I wrenched my gaze and hand away from him—it wasn't a direct command. I could still leave. "I have to."_

"_No," he moaned in defeat. "Please, Cara, I'm begging you!" His eyes were anguished, and I couldn't witness them for one more second. I began to run._

I shot up in bed, gasping as a sudden realization dawned on me. I did have to leave. I did—

Guilt washed over me as I looked around for Matt, who happened to not be in the room. I sighed with relief and longing, laying back into the sheets and thinking. They had said "When I least expected it" so I had to go soon. I couldn't just stay here and let my brother and his family be "exterminated".

I had to leave—now. There wasn't any time to waste. I'd already stalled as long as I could, considering the fact that I'd known about this for a month. And after they got rid of Jaime, they would either propose me work with them (since I no longer had any ties to my human life) or I would die. End of story.

I got out of bed shakily, still my human self from my breakdown earlier. Which reminded me of Matt. I forced myself to think better thoughts. Matt had taken wonderful care of me, but I did not love him. Love was such a strong word, and…

I grabbed a duffle bag out of the closet, throwing in random necessities. I remembered the credit card from my family Matt had confiscated a while back, and concentrated on figuring out where it was. I retrieved it quickly, shoving it in my pocket and returning to packing. As I surveyed the contents of the bag, I thought about what I was missing. While I could be human, speed would be essential once they knew I was gone. Volterra was a relatively sunny place. I would need to keep to the shadows… but just in case…

I seized one of Matt's smoky-like cloaks, fastening it around my neck and pulling up the hood. I was genuinely surprised, as I completed one last double-check, at how clear my brain was. Here I was, leaving the place that had been one cruel home to me over the past year, with a man that loved me, and I was about as emotional as a rock. But then I began to think about Matt, again. He had taken such good care of me, and I was leaving, betraying him without one scrap of me to keep.

With shaking fingers, I unfastened my locket—the only source of protection I had—and placed it on my pillow. I gave it one last, longing look. It signified my freedom, but I didn't want it anymore. Even if I felt like I was ripping my heart out, I didn't want it.

But leaving the locket wasn't enough. I needed to make sure he knew there was a reason for my departure, that I wasn't just doing it to cause him pain. My dream haunted me as I took his notepad from the nightstand and scribbled:

_I'm sorry. Please forgive me._

I couldn't hold back any longer. A single tear slid down my cheek and dropped onto the foreboding slip of paper, acting as a kind of signature. I blinked and slung the duffle over my shoulder before changing back stepping into the hallway.

I moved briskly, stopping up short if I heard any noise. I was petrified it would end up being Matthias and my dream would replay itself without mercy. As soon as I reached the main doors, I changed into a vampire and ran. I pumped my legs as fast as they could go, refusing to let my fear stop me. I was no longer chained to the Volturi, but I would forever be chained to Matt. The painfully glowing band told me so.

I could almost hear him chiding me, "You promised."

Matt. My heart constricted as I flung myself onto the wall. The golden bracelet cut into my rock-hard skin, and I winced. My guilt for Matt overshadowed what I was doing. I had to break free.

I was on top of the wall, and I looked back behind me. No one had come after me yet, but it was only a matter of time before Matt noticed I was gone and saw my locket and note. I glanced at the bracelet, which was as bright as a star, blinding me.

"Promises are meant to be broken," I hissed determinedly, as there was a loud crack.

Two halves of a broken sphere clattered to the ground, and I stared at them in disbelief. Had I completely severed my ties with Matt? The solemn thought seared my mind. A new sense of freedom surged through me, but I pushed it away. Where had evading and freedom gotten me?

I dropped down from the wall and picking up the two halves that had once encircled my wrist. I glared at them angrily, but felt my gaze soften with each passing second. I did, however, throw one back over the wall. The other was mine to keep.

I took off, pumping my legs again, whispering, "I'm sorry, Matt," into the wind.

**OOO**

When I got deeper into the city, numbness had started to take over. I pulled the cloak tighter around me, as if that would ebb it, and surveyed the parking lot. Time for a crash course of Grand Theft Auto 101.

The first thing that caught my eye was a sleek black car. It reminded me slightly of Carlisle's Mercedes, but it was a mustang. Not a good choice for long distance cars. I picked out a white Porsche instead. Not too noticeable and extremely quick. I grabbed the door off its hinges, stifled the alarm, and replaced the big chunk of metal back in its spot. Glancing around for a spare key, I shoved my duffle in the small backseat and pulled down the visor.

Bingo.

I jammed the keys into the ignition and back out with a screech, all my focus on driving. I smirked, pulling out of the lot and a horn blared angrily. I took the road opposite from the airport. That would be what they were expecting me to do. I took a deep breath as I sped down the road. There was so much to get away from, and so little time.

I drove for hours until I made it out of Italy and then days as I gunned it to England. I stopped for gas every few hours, and I hunted off the coast of Italy. I was fine for a flight.

I looked at my credit card on my way into the airport, towing the duffle bag. Rita Fowler, my credit card said. I didn't think I looked like a Rita… but oh well. More power to me.

"Are you traveling out of the country?" the British woman from behind the counter called, and my gaze snapped up. I hadn't taken a shower in days, but I figured my beauty would make up for it. She didn't notice my filth, and I smiled, saying:

"Yes, actually." Naw… Why else would I be in an airport? To fly _into_ the country? "I need a… one-way ticket to Montana."

"Well," she said, fingers clacking against the keys, "we have a flight in a few hours that has an open seat. That goes to California."

"Ma'am," I said quietly, trying not to sound agitated. "I need to get to Montana. Not California. I have enough money for first class. Now, please, can you give me a flight to Montana?"

I passed a roll of Italian money to her as I spoke. It had been in the pocket of Matt's cloak. I didn't figure it as stealing. If I ever saw him again, I'd pay him back in solid gold.

"Oh!" Her eyes lit up at the money. I had a feeling she had no clue it was Italian and therefore would not work in Britain off the back. "Of course, dear!" She winked largely as she took the money. I stifled a groan at her stupidity. She completely overrode the air of discreetness.

I sighed, taking my duffle as a carry-on, and took my ticket. I went to the right gate and sat in a seat next to a little blonde, curly-haired girl who smiled hugely at me. I smiled back, and she leaned over and whispered to me, "I'm going somewhere special. Mrs. Owens said that my family would love me so much!"

It was then that my eyes took in the tag around her neck: JUVENILE PASSANGER. She wore a uniform, one that I knew very well. The pleated skirt, the fleece jacket, the white blouse. I cringed away from the memories, but smiled at the beaming girl.

"That's great, sweetie," I said with my fake smile. She grinned back at me.

"I'm just so excited!" she exclaimed, bouncing up and down. "I mean, I get to have parents!"

I blinked, trying not to frown. Parents. That's what I was missing. I missed everyone so much. I bit my lip and sucked it in as a lady in a suit came up and gasped with relief. "Emma! There you are!" she exclaimed, and grabbed the girl's hand. "Don't run off on me like that, and don't talk to strangers!" The woman threw a backward glance at me as she said this, as if I were contaminated or something. I kept my face passive, though, until the girl, named Emma, waved back at me.

I smiled and waved, feeling fake. Yet I also felt a strange bond with the tiny girl. I felt as if I were her. Excited about a family.

I slightly missed that feeling.

I boarded the plane, ignoring the woman with the fake smile, the peppy flight attendant, etc. I sat down and shoved my duffle under my seat, leaning my forehead against the window.

It was only then, with the buzzing voices enveloping the aircraft like a silent blanket, that I felt alone. And I let a lone tear slide down my cheek.

I was a horrible person, really. Leaving without saying goodbye or giving any reason. Breaking Matt's power hold over me. So horrible, but I was doing it for a good cause. My brother was in trouble.

But… If I had left, and the Volturi had somehow tracked me, I could lead tem straight to Jaime. Nothing made sense anymore. Had I hurt my friend for nothing? The man who loved me for nothing? Had I completely ruined his life for nothing?

I could go back.

I undid my seatbelt, but a lurch set me back in my seat. The plane was moving and I was headed for Montana. The flight attendant leaned into my seat, fake smile and all, and spoke through clenched teeth: "Please fasten your seatbelt. There is the factor of turbulence—"

"Yeah, yeah." I did as was told and looked out the window. The lady sounded like a damn recording.

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" she asked. I doubted she would sound much different if she asked, "Can I kill you?"

"You probably _could_," I said in Italian, rolling my eyes, "but I don't want anything." With that she walked away, looking puzzled. Ah, the wonders of vampire logic.

I remembered the debates Matt used to have with me about Government in Italy, how he'd taught me Italian, and how he'd corrected me every time I made a mistake in English grammar. I smiled. How ironic, I thought, that an Italian boy could correct an American on her grammar. Then again, from what I'd heard lately, grammar needed major improvement in the U.S.

The flight was long. Nearly half a day I waited motionlessly before I was in Montana, and when I got there, I had no car, no place to stay, and I was a teenager on the loose. Whahoo. Yippee. Yay.

The first thing I did was buy a car. A nice, fast car. I felt slightly upset about basically spending all the money on the credit card my father gave me—like a brat—but, he had said once to only use it for emergencies. If this wasn't an emergency, I didn't know what the hell was.

Then I got a cell phone. I knew Jaime's digits by heart, and my own phone had been confiscated in Volterra. I dialed the number as I was driving, and the machine picked up. "Hey, you've reached Jaime. I'm out, so call back later, 'cause I probably won't buzz you back unless it's something important. _Beep_."

"Jaime, it's Cara. Listen closely." I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. "You know the freaky vampires I went to Italy with? Yeah, well, we have a slight problem. They were talking about 'eliminating' you and your pack, so I ran away and I'm in Montana. I'd classify this as important. Please, call me back. Soon. Love ya, bye."

I snapped the phone shut, cursing Jaime for not picking up. The little Twot.

It was a couple hours until I'd heard from Jaime again, and by then I had already checked the house. My house. The Cullen house. And then I had almost fainted. They weren't there. It wasn't like they were hunting, either. All of their cars were gone, but when I looked in the window, it looked like they never left.

"Well, this sucks," I muttered, but my mood lightened as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I snapped it open without looking at the caller. "Hello?"

"Cara?" Jaime's voice was incredulous, unbelieving. I couldn't tell if it was because I called him or from the present I'd left him on his answering machine.

"Jaime!" I exclaimed. "Oh, god, I'm so glad to hear from you! Did you get my message?" I added in a hushed whisper. I didn't know why—no one was around me.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. "Yeah." His voice sounded weak. I instantly regretted not telling it to his face. I could picture him replaying the message over and over again, completely in shock.

"Where were you?" I asked.

"Playing soccer with Freesia at the college." He sounded guilty for some reason. I contemplated that.

"College?" I questioned. "What college? There's no college close to here."

He was silent once more. "Yeah," he mumbled after a moment. "I know. Freesia and I got accepted into Dartmouth."

It was my turn to be unspeaking. Jaime? Darthmouth? What reality show was I in? The Twilight Zone? I guessed I shouldn't be so surprised. Jaime was a good student, I had just never thought about him getting into a college so far away. "So, you're not in Montana?" I asked stupidly.

"Yeah. And you are."

"Naw," I joked, but then as I took in my surroundings, I remembered why I also needed to talk to him. "Jaime, do you know where my family is? The Cullens, I mean."

He didn't say anything for a moment, which was really aggravating me. Then I heard him take a deep breath. "Cara, they left about a month ago."

"What d'you mean?"

"They left because they were getting noticeable here," he said quietly. "At least that was one reason. Another was… well, they went looking for you."

"They did _what_?" I exclaimed, instantly angry. Damn Alice! Why had she done that? "You mean they went to Volterra?" My voice was too high, fear was closing in. No, no, no! They couldn't have. "But… wait. That doesn't make any sense. I would have seen them there!"

"I never said they went to Volterra," he countered calmly. "Alice had a vision about you leaving, but she didn't know when it was. So I don't know where they are or what they're doing, but I highly doubt they're in Volterra."

"B-But—" I broke off in frustration. "Aw, well crap."

"Maybe she can see you now—Wait a damn second. How did she see you in the first place?"

I laughed nervously. "Jaime, before I tell you, know I love you." He didn't say anything, so I spilled. "When they were threatening your annihilation, I took off the locket so Alice could hear what they were saying. I told her to warn you. Obviously she didn't, did she?"

"They had already left. I thought you said Alice sees the future."

"She does," I answered naively.

"Well, you took it off in the present, didn't you? In that case, she wouldn't have seen what was happening, but the choices you already had in mind. Does that make sense?"

I groaned. "More than you know." How could I have been so stupid? I had completely forgotten! So she would have seen me leaving, not what I had wanted her to see. Damn. "Goddamn it, Jaime, when did you get so smart?"

He made this smug noise. "Oh, I've always been the best in my class." I knew he was joking. But then there was an awkward silence as my mind drifted back to the problem. His apparently did too, because he asked: "Cara, do you know what's going to happen to my family?"

"You need to call them and warn them. I need to get the hell out of here before they start tracking me. If I'm found here, I'll just lead them straight to you."

"The pack doesn't live in Montana, anymore, Cara. They live in Forks, Washington." Ah, _that_ name rung a bell. Great.

"Isn't that the first place the Volturi would look, dumbass?" I snarled, and he laughed. I looked at the phone is disbelief. "What is so funny?"

"You called me dumbass!"

"Uh… I don't get it." I was wondering for his sanity.

"Neither do I," he admitted. "But I was trying to lighten the mood. Look, I'll call them. You get away and don't come back to Montana. Lie low in another state. Go to high school, stuff like that…. In case, you know, they show up." He was silent again. "I missed you, Cara. Lots."

"I know," I said. "I missed you, too. But I gotta go drive to another state, okay?"

"Right. Stay safe."

"You bet." The phone went dead, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. I didn't cry often, but it seemed like it had been happening a lot lately. I walked down the porch steps and back to my car, thinking of the time Jaime wigged out on me because I fell off the horse.

The horse… She had spooked. Horses didn't spook for no reason, and while it could have been a twig, I had my doubts. I remembered seeing something white. Or at least something extremely pale.

It had been Matt.

That didn't tick me off as much as it would have a month ago. I still felt guilty, and I didn't want to blame him for anything else he didn't have control over. I focused on him, and instantly regretted it.

He was arguing with Caius. About me.

"_Find her!" Caius ordered. "Make her come back."_

"_I can't!" Matt hissed back, and I noticed something beneath his words. He thrust his half of my bracelet under Caius's nose. "She broke my hold. I can't make her do anything." He sounded oddly relieved._

"_Aro and Jane will not be pleased," Marcus said from the side. _

"_Kudos to them, then!" Matt exclaimed angrily, a phrase he had learned from me._

_He stalked out of the room, the broken bracelet clenched tightly in his hand._

I kept walking to the car, my head down. At least he wasn't wallowing in depression, and that fact made me feel slightly better. He may love me, but he was also relieved I was gone. He didn't want me to deal with the Volturi any longer.

I got in the Aston Marten and rested my head against the wheel. I was going somewhere else. Somewhere far away from here. And as a song came on the radio, I realized where I was going.

Alabama.

**OOO**

**I just couldn't resist the next part of the story taking place in that state. I recently watched Sweet Home Alabama, so some parts may seem like that movie. **

**I'm working on a website for all my stories spoilers, explanations, pictures, and playlists. So the link will be on my profile within the week, once I get it going.**

**Jamie.**

**PS: no offense to British folks. That was just where she was.**


	10. Sweet Home Alabama

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 10: Sweet Home Alabama_

**Sweet Home Alabama—Lynard Synard**

**Some of my Alabama facts may be seriously off, considering I don't live there. So bare with me. I'm going to use the "Sweet Home Alabama" movie as a base. So, some setting may be in here from that movie, even if the town is different. If you live in the town, sorry, I just picked it from a random website. I own nothing except the characters. (Waterloo, AL. pop: 208)**

**OOO**

Alabama.

Beautiful place, really. Plenty of tall, shadowy trees. Plenty of multicolored leaves rushing in the wind as I sped by. Humongous houses. All that greeted me in the south, where autumn was just beginning. Radio stations flitted back and forth as I passed through the states. Pointless songs and meaningful verses washed over my ears, blocking out everything I felt. While my mother couldn't listen to music at the time my father departed, I craved it. Needed it. Loved it.

But then there were blares of departure and hate. I switched the channel.

I did, however, let out a sigh in the eerie silence that followed. Just moving to a completely different state—even if across the country—wasn't going to help me evade the most powerful beings in Vampire society. Screw royalty. It was getting seriously annoying.

I really needed to stop thinking about it, but trying to erase yourself from existence wasn't easy. I was remotely surprised I had gotten through Montana without being spotted. Then again, Clinton, Montana was an extremely low-populated place. The population varied to about five hundred and fifty people. I had run into maybe one car on the main road. Shocker.

But on the other hand, I'd realized the first time around I was famous in that place. My car was supposedly still in the lake, broken window, ripped seatbelt, broken taillight and all. After all, I had left a gap in that beautiful bridge of theirs. Whoops.

I shuddered at the memory, my mind instantly pivoting back to my murderer. Even if my name had been in the papers of the local gas station, it had been over a year. So my being unnoticed made sense. That, and my inhuman beauty had probably made me unrecognizable.

_I will,_ I thought, continuing back on my original train of thought, _have to make myself _even less_ ostentatious._ There were two options with both pros and cons. Option one: Get into a big city, act as a refuge, go unnoticed. Good plan. Except for one minor detail. Cities were crowded and I easily got claustrophobia. That and if I needed blood, there wouldn't be any forest nearby, and I'd have to feed off humans. At least unless I wanted to devour the neighbor's dog. I grimaced. No, option one was out.

Option two: Get enrolled in a small town. Keep to yourself, talk little, try and keep out of the small-town friendly atmosphere. Something I was indeed good at. I'd dealt with small towns before. I could swipe some money and pay for rent in a local inn or something. Or I could get a job, but that would just draw attention to myself, which was not an option. An added bonus: forest! Plenty of that in Alabama. And I could go by my recently attired stage name: Rita Fowler. Fun.

So, option two was a go. Easy peasy. I could use my credit card until I got discredited, and then all would be well. Just stay out of sight as much of possible. Of course, that would become an awkward situation, considering I was starting to regret ever buying the Aston Marten.

**OOO**

Within the next week, I'd gotten myself a job, a place to sleep and eat, and registered in a school. Not exactly what I'd been planning per se.

No, what I'd gotten myself into was the exact opposite of lying low. I had been planning on ignoring Jaime's advice and just get a place to live, but _no_. I seemed to be inheriting my mother's bad luck streak.

One thing was for sure. If I ever came across Lucas's car, I'd slash his tires and steering wheel. I'd carve my name into the seats and smash all the windows and mirrors. I'd destroy the engine and attached a time bomb. I'd write _GOTCHA!_ on the windshield—the only window I wouldn't break.

Why? Because it was _all his fault_.

Apparently, my concussion had left permanent damage to my brain. Something you would expect when being attacked by a vampire, sure. Not something you would expect when actually being one yourself. It seemed I had more questions for Carlisle than I'd originally planned.

What was even worse was the fact I had acquired myself yet another family. Even if they hadn't adopted me, I lived in the attic above their home. So, whenever I came and went, they knew. Not exactly the freedom or discreetness I had planned for either.

It had started because I'd been traveling three days straight as a human without any form of nutrition. Now, if I had stayed a vampire, I would not have needed to hunt, and furthermore, been able to get here a lot faster. Problems: It was sunny in the south, and the Aston Marten's windows were not heavily tinted. I couldn't go around causing accidents with my shimmering glory. Problem number two: therefore I could not turn into a vampire, and thus had to worry about my driving and in addition, my safety. I couldn't get tickets and draw attention to myself.

Another reason I'd been traveling three days? Well, you try traveling across the country with going remotely fast and trying not to get a ticket. It takes forever, and I didn't have time to stop except for gas. I got a couple sodas when I couldn't "pay at the pump". That, and I'd felt too guilty too eat—too unsettled.

So, as I pulled into the local store (the _one_ local store) of Waterloo, Alabama, (population: 210—I knew this because I'd lived here as a child once before—)I fainted. Out cold, all the blood rushing from my head. I woke up with the Henrys. They fussed over me and fed me, bickering with each other about my health.

I had already officially decided in addition to vandalizing Lucas's car, next time I came across him, I would beat the living crap out of him.

His little "present" had ruined everything. And the people who'd retrieved me from the parking lot did not believe I was eighteen. The told me I could stay with them on two conditions: one, I worked in their local store to pay my rent, and two, I go to school. When I'd politely declined their offer, they insisted, "What's a pretty little thing like you doing all alone out here?" That basically settled it. That was code for, "Darling, we're calling the cops if you leave now." I couldn't get the cops involved. That just screamed "attention".

So, as I walked into school three days later, I wore baggy jeans and a faded T-shirt, as opposed to my flamboyant Italian designer clothing. Alice would probably happily murder me in my current attire, but it was all about lying low. See, I'd noticed that even as a human, I still held the vampiric element of beauty about my appearance. I wore a conductor's hat, pulling up my hair into the top of it. Looking it the mirror, I could probably pass as a freshman guy. Too bad I was a girl and entering junior year.

I was walking through the halls, trying to look indifferent by placing the rim of my hat over my unnaturally compelling green eyes, I heard it. Jeering from a nearby room.Well, I thought, curiosity killed the cat.

I had to tilt my head up to see, but I almost instantly wished I hadn't. Two jocks were making fun of a brown-skinned guy. Idiots number 1 and 2 were laughing, and I felt my face mold into a scowl. Victim Guy was taking their teasing with arms crossed, fists clenched. I picked up what was happening at once.

"Go back to Mars, you nigger!" Idiot 1 mocked as I drew closer. I rolled my eyes. Was that the best insult he could come up with?

"Back to Mars," Idiot 2 quoted with a laugh. I sighed. Great. An Idiot 1 clone.

I shoved my clenched fists into my pockets and planted my feet beside Victim Guy. My jaw was set, my eyes blazing. I was scrunching my fingers together so much it hurt, but I kept my air of cool. I stared ahead at the enemy, who had stopped laughing—Idiot 2 a little later than Idiot 1, in which Idiot 1 had elbowed him in the side.

"Hey assholes," I said, my smile sinful and my voice easy. "Go pick on someone your own size."

Truth was, my words had little meaning, considering Victim Guy was half a foot taller than both of them. They just laughed though, after the few minutes it took them to understand me, and Idiot 1 said, "Going through puberty, kid? You sound like a girl."

I refrained from rolling my eyes. Instead, I punched Idiot 1 in the face. My vampire strength caused him to fall back against the floor, but I hadn't hit hard enough to even leave him a bloody nose. Pathetic. I stood over him so he could see my face clearly. "That's because I am one, you sexist pig."

I straightened up, repressing the urge to shake my aching hand. I turned to Idiot 2. "You next?" I asked lowly, and he shook his head before helping his partner up. They tried to walk with grace from the room, but one (Idiot 2, I think) tripped over a desk and staggered the rest of the way out.

Wow. Special.

I shook out my throbbing hand as I face Victim Guy. "Thanks," he said, his voice deep and low. "It takes a lot of courage to talk to those two, much less punch them. Do you do that at every new school?"

"It's becoming a habit," I muttered dismissively, walking over to the sink and running cold water on my abused hand. "Dammit," I muttered after a moment. "I really can't risk getting expelled on my first day."

He laughed. "Don't worry," he told me earnestly. "Jack and Dave won't tell a story where they got their asses kicked by a girl for a million bucks. Too embarrassing on their behalf. They will, however, switch you to their new target. You'll receive insults every time they pass you in the hallway."

"I think I can handle it," I said shortly, shutting off the water and drying my hands. I glanced at Victim Guy. He looked so familiar.

"I don't doubt it, Cara," he said with a grin. Just as I was about to ask him how the hell he knew my name, he added, "Don't tell me you don't remember the mischief we used to hit up? Come on, it's _Robbie_."

My subconscious flitted. My childhood friend, Robert Jenson. I blinked rapidly, my brain processing the information at lightning speed. We used to be best of friends, troublemakers who used to trespass and vandalize things. This had been the town where I'd stayed with the family for that one year. They never knew about my nonexistent criminal record, because we barely ever got caught. Waterloo was a very small town. Two police at the most. Whenever one arrived on the scene, we'd just hightail it out of there before they could shine us.

I just gapped at Robbie. "You're kidding," I finally managed. He shook his head, and I grinned, giving him a hug. "For the record," I added as we began to walk into the hallway, "I'm going by Rita. Can't explain it now, but maybe later." I could beat around the bush. Robbie was one to be trusted.

"You don't look like a Rita," he commented. Leave it to Robbie to analyze names.

I rolled my eyes, adjusting my hat. "So I'm told," I agreed. We continued down the hallway, which wasn't even crowded. Considering Waterloo had two hundred people, that meant that only thirty at the most were enrolled in the one high school. We had one class to go to, all the kids with ages ranging from sixteen to seventeen and from the entire county in the same room. That added up to about seven kids. Fun.

"I hope you don't mind a girl fighting your battles for you, Rob," I said after a moment, and he laughed. "You could have taken them down easy."

"Duh, I don't mind. God, _Rita_. You know I ain't like some of them folks around here. Some are prejudice, some sexist, some religionist…" He laughed. "But, hey. Who am I to judge? It's like that in every state, you know? There's always going to be one person, at least, who doesn't like what the other thinks. But hey, your badass and a girl. I don't have no problems with that."

I grinned. "I still bet you could've beat the living shit out of them," I chided. He scowled down at me. I came up to about his elbow. Robbie was a giant.

"So… Rita," he teased, changing the subject. "That sounds an awful lot like a northern name, correct?"

I grimaced. "Yup, I'm from New York." He gave me an incredulous look.

"Yeah, and I'm from Florida," he said disdainfully. "Sorry, kid. You sound nothing like you're from New York."

"Only the Manhattan people have accents," I said, pretending to be offended. It was true—I'd lived in the mountains of New York once. No accents.

He gave me a reproachful look, like "yeah right". I scowled up at him, tilting my head up to see past my hat. "Twot," I muttered. He shook his shaved head.

We walked into the one class together, and I sat down behind him. At a glance, I realized why Robbie was the subject of teasing. There was not one other African American in the room. I remembered his twin sister Madison… but where was she?

I sunk down in my chair and tried to look invisible, but of course, that was impossible. I was the new girl/guy. However they saw it. I was the official object of attention.

"Settle down, you raging boxes of hormones," the teacher said as he flopped his binder on his desk and the bell rang. I glanced out of the corner of my eye. Two teens had been kissing and were pulling away, looking embarrassed. I rolled my eyes. Nothing new; it happened at every school.

"Mr. Larson." I cringed as I recognized Idiot 1's voice. "May I remind you that hats are against school regulations and therefore are not allowed?"

I turned around in my seat and glared at Jack. He smiled and waved politely, safe in his seat across a room with a certified teacher present. My eyes narrowed. Not for long.

Mr. Larson nodded. "That is true, Jackarino. Miss…" He scanned the role. "Miss Fowler, please take off your brain-cap."

I sighed, removing the conductor hat and running a hand through my hair. There was an array of reactions: a few gasps from the students who'd thought me male, but then the cat-calls and wolf-whistles started. Ugh. I closed my eyes, laying my head on my desk. Before I did, though, I saw Idiots 1 and 2 staring at me in complete disbelief.

Class was over soon and then lunch was available. I'd realized we stayed in the same room, all day. Except for PE, which we all migrated to the mini-field outside.

"Hey chick," Idiot 1 said as I was biting into my sandwich. I gritted my teeth.

"Hey, asshole," I replied without looking up from my drink. Robbie struggled to keep his face composed, and I kept mine smooth. I was getting the impression people did not talk to Jack and Dave like I did.

Jack leaned across the table, a sneer on his face. "What did you say, Tomboy?"

"I said, 'Hey asshole'," I clarified coolly. Then I contemplated that. "But then again, you'd probably take that as a compliment. Or would you prefer—?"

Before I could finish, he'd shoved me back in my chair. I stood up immeadiately, and we faced each other, waiting for the enemy to make the next move. "Wouldn't want to loose to a girl, now would you, Jack?" I asked, glancing back at Dave.

His expression remained cool, but I could almost smell the fear coming off him. He did _not_ want to lose to a girl. And he did not want people hearing about it, either. I placed my hands on the table and moved even closer. Our eyes were cold and merciless.

"You couldn't throw one at me even if you had the guts, Fowler," he sneered. I raised my eyebrow. We were on a last name basis now, were we?

"Sure I can," I said lightly, ignoring a guy who was biting his fingernails. "And I can take you off your petty little pedestal, too."

He heard the malice in my tone. "You don't want to pick a bone with me, Witch," he mocked. "At least not without Dave present." I had realized Idiot 2 was not present. My eyes narrowed. I wasn't backing down.

"I sure do," I countered easily. "Now why don't you take your still pretty face and eat your fancy little lunch." Anyone who didn't know me would take that as a complement. Robbie, however, knew otherwise. He gave me a shocked look. He knew I was talking about 'perfect' families. People who pretended. I didn't pretend.

But I guess Jack knew what I was saying, too, because he didn't eat his lunch. He stayed there, crossing his arms and staring me down. I shoved my hands in my pockets and looked at him with cold indifference. My fists clenched tightly in my jeans, we stayed like that. I saw Robbie shake his head at the back of Jack's. Apparently, Robbie figured I could win this fight hands down. I knew I could, but I wasn't about to say that again.

"Do we have a problem here?" came the voice of Waterloo High's dean. Rob had pointed him out to me, and I didn't forget voices very often. Jack turned his head slightly to the side, as if to acknowledge the dean, but otherwise, his eyes stood locked with mine. "Take a deep breath," the dean continued, "both of you. Now step away. Conflict is solved better with words, not action. Violence is not the answer."

_No,_ I thought. _It's just the solution._

"Back away, just, tone it down," the dean soothed again. I glanced at him. _What the hell?_ What the Dean Williams also the school shrink? Yes, Robbie informed me as my nemesis and Williams walked away. Yes he was.

Great. I thought as I walked to the Aston Marten and waved goodbye to Rob. I'd been here a total of three days—less than a week—and I'd gotten myself a family, a job, and I'd made a mortal enemy and reunited with my best friend from my preteens. Wonderful. So far, laying low wasn't working.

Just. Wonderful.

**OOO**

My job at the local store only made matters worse. I had cashier duty. I would have taken the phone or stacking the shelves over money any day, because working the cashier meant I'd be seeing practically everyone in town. I'd have to check them out, and since this was such a small town, they'd only have to remember one face, so they would remember me. Easily. Great.

I was really beginning to regret ever coming to Waterloo, Alabama. Claustrophobia was looking really great compared to the trouble I was in.

"I'll be damned," I said loudly as Robbie walked through the store's door about a week later. The bell chimed again and a girl with dark, long hair glided in after him. I wondered again where Madison was. "If it isn't the devil himself."

"Hey," he said, then added, "I think that accent is getting a bit too good." The dark-haired girl flashed him a smile, and then turned it on me. "This is my other best friend, Kayla. Kay, this is… Rita. She used to live here back in my preteen years."

"Nice to meet you Kayla," I said easily. Then I turned to Rob, giving him a look that said: _Can_ _I speak with you?_

"One sec, Kay," he said. "I need to talk with Rita for a moment." He followed me to the back room, and asked, "What?"

"Robbie, I know now's not a good time, but can you tell me what happened to the family I used to live with? You know, before I left? I don't want to go around getting recognized and shit."

He just looked at me.

**OOO**

**MWHAHAHA! CLIFFIE! YAY!**

**Heh heh… I mean…. Yeah. So, I'm watching TITANIC at the moment, and all I can say is… WHY, JACK, WHY?!?!?!?!?! **

**Jamie.**


	11. Everytime

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 11: Everytime_

**Everytime—Britney Spears (this is the only meaningful song she's ever made. Please listen?)**

**Oh, by the way, my website is up. The link is one my profile.**

**Oh, and I know some of you don't like where this story is going. Trust me, I wouldn't either if I wasn't writing it. But please keep an open mind. I promise I will answer any questions you have at the end of the story. Sorry if I didn't answer yours, but it probably had something to do with upcoming events.**

**OOO**

"Cara." The one word was ridden with such exhaustion and depression, that I felt my heart immediately constrict. "There was a… fire a few years back. A really big one. It hit their house, and they didn't exactly benefit from it." Robbie's words sounded strangled, forced. "Only their daughter, Emma, made it out alive. Well, their dog too, but, you get the point."

I blinked. "Emma?" I asked. Hadn't I heard that name somewhere before?

"Yeah, a few years after your departure, they had a kid. Miracle of the town, supposedly." I just kept staring at him. Emma… who was Emma?

"Damn it!" I yelled suddenly, standing up. "Was she adopted recently?"

He gave me a weird look. "Uh… I think so."

"Crap! Crap, crap, crap!" I was pacing suddenly, about _this_ close to ripping out my hair. "What do you mean? Was she blonde? Did she have curly hair?"

His eyes got wide. "Have you _met_ this person?" he asked loudly, holding his hands up and letting them drop. "Cause I think you've really got it down."

"She could've been my sister," I choked out after a moment as I sunk into my chair. "My _sister_."

"How do you know Emma? You weren't here when the fire hit. And she was too young to remember anything anyways. Mind explaining?"

"When I was in the airport in Britain, I met a girl named Emma who sat beside me in the Terminal. She was talking about how she finally got to have a family."

"Britain?" Robbie asked incredulously. "Why the hell would she be in Great Britain?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe she was moving to Sweden? But I know I saw her. And, she was just so excited. I mean… God." I put my face in my hands. That poor kid.

"Hey, Rita," Kay's voice came from the doorway. "Someone needs to check out. I'd do it for ya, but…" She shrugged. "I dunno how to work the damn cash register."

"Right." I got up and wiped my hands on my jeans. I'd have to get used toi being called Rita. I walked out and stopped dead in my tracks.

"Hey, Tomboy," Jack called. I clenched my jaw, breathing through my nose. I tried to refrain from glaring.

"Hey, asshole." I had been planning on calling him something much worse, but the elderly lady in the corner stopped my resolve. That, and I was sure there was some code of conduct for employees. "What are you checking out? Condoms?"

He laughed. "There aren't any girls in this town worth sleeping with." He looked pointedly over my shoulder at Kayla, who adverted her gaze. I would ask her about it later. "Nah, I'm just ringing up some cigarettes. Want one?"

My jaw clenched tighter. "No." I didn't do drugs. It wasn't my thing. I rang up the items and he left, but not before he winked at me as he walked out. "Ew," I said aloud, shaking my head. "What a freak."

It was another hour before Robbie left. "You know, Cara," he said, too quietly for Kayla to hear, "_Rita_ is a Yankee name." Then he left and laughed, leaving me smiling behind him.

The Yankees were the arch enemies of the South. I mentally cursed at my stupidity. Why couldn't my parents have given me a name that could be used all across the country? Who knew?

**OOO**

That night, I tried to think of Matt, but I couldn't focus on him. I could only get bits and pieces. I didn't know what was happening—it was like I could get tiny glimpses of him and then it was as if… he knew I was watching and didn't want me to see him upset. And he was definitely upset. He'd glance around the room, with a weird expression on his face, then his eyes would settle from where I was watching, and my knowing thingy went off.

And he wasn't in a room I recognized. I'd been in almost every room in that god forsaken castle, and he wasn't in any of them. No, taking in the phony bed and drapes, the icky lamps and bolted desk… If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was in a hotel room. And then there would be the occasional roar of a plane flying overhead as the cheap alarm clock shook.

Every time I saw him, though, I couldn't get the look on his face from my mind. It was betrayed, hurt, and relieved. I was almost glad he'd somehow shut me out, because I couldn't bear to look at it. It was angry, depressed, and tired. Like he'd spent all his nights waiting for me to walk through the door. I just couldn't bear it.

Then I got the feelings.

I suddenly felt everything I'd seen on his face. The hurt, the betrayal. I almost couldn't breathe. The guilt washed over me. The anger at someone I didn't know. It was like a nightmare, but I was living it.

I threw off the covers and went to the window. I breathed in the fresh night air. The crisp, cool feel of it. I pulled on my boots and jacket, then opened the window farther. I couldn't sleep. I'd have to deal with my frustration some other way.

I slipped out of the window and crouched down. The ledge above the back porch allowed me to climb without having to worry about scaling the wall. I needed to avoid my "family" so I would just sneak out. I'd done it about a gazillion times. No biggie.

I jumped off the ledge and ran into the woods. This town was so small, I could make it to Rob's in a few minutes. But, I only wanted to walk. I loved the night. It was peaceful, and the glow of the moon only made me feel spontaneous. Matt had often said I was crazy, but he'd said it in a loving, incredulous way. I loved the way he said it—

I blinked. What the hell was I thinking? I… that was weird. Crazy. Not normal. He'd tried to kill me for heaven's sakes! I—

I didn't care about any of that, did I?

I didn't care that he had tried to basically murder me. I didn't care that he'd been bitter or rude to me when I'd pledged my loyalty to him. I didn't care that he'd walked up to me in the parking lot and said those things. I didn't care that he'd killed humans, and I didn't care that he'd enslaved me to his will.

Then what _did_ I care about?

I did care that he'd punched Lucas, that he'd saved my life. I did care that he'd hunted for me, that he'd loved me, physically and emotionally, and I cared that he changed his ways, even if that had meant death for him. I did care that he'd always used "please" or asked a question. I cared that he'd told me how to avoid being tortured and such. How to avoid Marcus, Caius, and Demetri. Jane and Alec, and Aro. I did care that he felt completely miserable at the moment. I cared that he respected everything about me. From my weird human abilities to my rules.

I cared about _him_.

I dropped to my knees with shock. I'd never felt something like this before. Nothing so intense, so petrifying. So halting and stunning. It was so… strange.

I blinked a couple times, not bothering to get up off the damp ground. Did I love Matt? I never thought I could, but it was paining me to know that I'd done this to him. For my own good. _Well, not really,_ I reasoned. I'd done it to save Jaime and… Ew. Jacob.

Anger flared in me just thinking about what he'd—

But, then again…. It wasn't really his fault. It was mine.

I didn't want to think about it though. I got up off the ground and began to run. The sooner I got a distraction the better. I was at Rob's house within the next fifteen minutes, and breathing hard. I located his window, and ascended the balcony, hoping he hadn't moved rooms in the past few years, and launched an acorn at it.

No reply.

I launched again, and then heard swearing. I chuckled to myself. Rob's head popped out the window and he saw me on his balcony, smirking my face off. He raised an eyebrow. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked in a nonchalant tone. I grinned.

"Getting you in trouble. Come on." I threw a bag at him, and he glanced at me suspiciously.

"What type of shit do you got in here?" he asked, weighing the bag. I smiled.

"Good shit," I answered, turning my head to the side innocently. He raised his other eyebrow and shook his head.

"Well then. I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"

"No," I agreed glumly. "Not really. Now, go change before I die of boredom." I looked at him expectantly, and he sighed, raising his eyes to the heavens.

"You're going to get me expelled, 'Fowler'," he growled, shaking his head again. I grinned and motioned him away before leaping off the balcony. I leaned against the picket fence, scuffing my feet on the ground. Man, that boy took a long time to change.

After about ten minutes—God, how long did it take a guy to change into an outfit? In gym, they were always out before us!—he shimmied down the balcony. I gave him a once over: Army printed sweats and jacket. Moss green shirt. We were good to go. I walked to his driveway, mentally chuckling to myself. Same house, same driveway, same boy.

"Where are we going?" Robbie asked from behind me. I threw him a smirk.

"Keep it down," I chided. "I'm stealing your car. Do you _want_ to get caught?" I snuck over to his car and yanked the door open—no keys, and the locks had long since been broken. I slid into the seat and gripped the steering wheel. I smiled to myself. I remembered when I couldn't even see over the thing and was speeding down the highway. Man, did this bring back memories.

A thought struck me, then. My dad had said vampires forgot their human lives. But, I remembered everything. Every raid I'd gone on with Rob and Madison. Every family was crystal clear in my mind. It was so weird. Was it because I could revert back to my human self? Or was it because I knew everything I wanted to? Or a combination of the two? I had no idea. None, zippo.

Rob slid in next to me, glowering at my profile. "Mind telling me where we're going?" he whispered impatiently. "Or are you just Mrs. Secretive today?"

"Aw, Robbie." I feigned sounding hurt. "I can't believe you don't know! Private property of course," I answered, grinning.

He grinned back. "Kick it!" he yelled, throwing his hands up and tossing me the keys. I caught them, but revved the engine. He glanced at the keys in my hand to the ignition, frowning. "When in Sam's heck did you learn how to hotwire a car?"

"Back with my motorcycle peeps," I answered shortly, unsmiling. He didn't pursue the issue, so I added: "But if you feel better with me using the keys, that's cool, too." I jammed them into the slot and slammed on the peddle, the tires squealing. As we drove away, I glanced into the rearview mirror. No lights, no angry 'rents. What was up?

I just had to peek at Robbie to get him to answer my unspoken question. "They are either too… erm, busy to care, or they've got earplugs in, which I highly doubt." He shook his head in slight embarrassment, and I threw my head back in laughter.

We pulled up to the destination rather quickly. After all, Waterloo was a very small town. The portables' roofs reflected the moonlight, and without looking, I tossed Robbie a case of coal smudge. "What the—"

"Just put it on," I snapped. My mood had dampened. I was not exhilarated anymore. I felt a hideous anger, a useless sadness. It made no sense. Five minutes ago, I had been laughing. Now I just wanted to crawl into my bed and die.

"Fine, Miss Priss." Robbie had used the tone, which only made my mood plummet. I considering shooting him a glare, but talked myself out of it. I was here to relive old times. To engage in scaling a fence and breaking into portables with my best friend.

I wondered if it would be just as fun with Jaime.

I frowned, thinking. I could just get a bit of his life, it would probably make me feel better. I concentrated, putting all my willpower into it. _Jaime_, I thought.

He appeared immediately. He was sitting in a chair, a grim look on his face. I wanted to know what had happened to start that.

"_You mean, you aren't going to get her?" he asked, blinking at my father. My father's face was impassive, but his eyes were pleading._

"_Jaime," he said, "I know you love her like family, but listen to me. She's not ready to come back. If she was, she would have stayed in the north so we could find her. She panicked, and she fled. She'll come back when she's ready."_

I frowned at that tidbit of information. He made me sound like a wuss.

"_But she showed up at your house! In Montana!" Jaime exclaimed, crossing his arms. "She called me and said she was there."_

"_And what did you say back?" Alice asked icily. _I wondered what had her angry.

"_I told her you guys had left, and were searching for her."_

_Bella closed her eyes and Edward's flashed. "Bluntly?" he said. "Just like that?"_

"_Well… yeah." Jaime's eyes clouded with confusion. My father pinched the bridge of his nose, and my mother laid a hand on his arm. "Why is that bad?"_

"_She… tends to panic when people search for her," my mother said tentatively. "She likes things on her own terms."_

"_Oops?" Jaime supplied—_

"Yo! Cara!"

I blinked. I'd been so absorbed in my thoughts that I'd failed to notice Robbie halfway up the fence. "You coming?" he asked.

"Uh… yeah." I leapted at the fence, my fingers wrapping around the chains. I pulled myself up, careful to avoid the barbwire at the top. As if that could keep out the champion fence scaler. HA!

As I dropped to the ground on the other side, I surveyed our advantage point. I could see the four portables stationed around the mini-field, and the front office and hallway behind them. Perfect.

Then came the bark.

"Crap!" I exclaimed. "You never told me the janitors had dogs!"

"Um, correction," Robbie said arrogantly. "It's _one_ dog. And it's not the janitor, it's the police." He had said it with such confidence in his knowledge, that he barely realized what he had said. I stared at him in horror. I could outrun a dog, but only if I felt the want to drink its blood. Robbie blinked at me. "Why are you staring at me like that? I mean—"

Comprehension dawned on his face, and his face matched my terrified one. "Aw, shit!" He raced for the fence. "Let's go!"

"Naw," I said sarcastically from behind him, grabbing onto the chain-links. "I say we just hang out here, make friends with the German Shepard."

"It's a Chihuahua," he said darkly after a moment. I gapped at him.

"You're kidding." I searched his face. It was completely serious. I dropped back to the ground throwing my hands up. "You are such a friggen wuss! I can't believe you're scared of a _Chihuahua_!"

He shook his head. "That thing is _vicious_. Cara, lets go. Now."

"No way! Come on!" I started after to the mini-field, hearing him call after me:

"No! Cara, come back! I'm serious! The thing has rabies! Let's go somewhere else. The Chihuahua means the police are nearby! They must be doing an annual check, or maybe there was a bomb threat or something!"

I stopped.

"Yeah! There's a good chance that's what happened, and if you get caught on the scene, how the hell are you going to back yourself up?" He said smugly. I growled under my breath, mentally damning him to hell. I started back to the fence, and Robbie said, "That's right young miss! You get your ass—"

"Stop yelling!" I hissed. "I'm two feet away. Do you _want_ them to hear you?"

I pulled myself over the ten-foot fence and started walking towards the car. No shine, no crime, as Madison would say. I wondered again where she was, and I found out something I never wanted to know.

I saw a casket loading into the ground, people in black sobbing and holding onto each other. Robbie's mom wailed to the sky, and Robbie tossed a trinket into the grave.

I gasped, turning to face Robbie. I gapped at him, and he gave me one of his looks. "What?" he said.

"What happened to Madison?" I asked, my voice hoarse. He blinked, his eyes wide in shock. He obviously hadn't been expecting that question.

"W-What the hell are you talking about?" He looked away from me, adverting his eyes.

_My_ eyes narrowed. "Don't. Lie. To. Me," I hissed. "It's no use. _How did she die_?"

He glanced up. "Who told you?" he demanded.

"It isn't that hard to figure out!" I was sure my eyes were shooting fire. I had anger management issues, and a lot of them. A lot. "She's your twin, she's not around… Oh, and there is the one tiny issue of her funeral!" I threw my hands up and stormed after the car. Robbie got into the driver's seat and started the engine. He didn't back up for a while, but he opened his mouth, as if to say something, and shut it again. This happened several times.

Seeing my look of impatience, he said, "If I told you, you would never believe me."

"Try me," I prodded. I kept my face smooth, trying to erase all traces of betrayal, sadness, hurt, and anger.

"Can we hit the park, first? I'd feel better talking there…"

"Sure."

We rode in silence, never once glancing up at the other. I thought about Matt again, and I kept getting the same picture… except, this time he wasn't in the shabby hotel room. He was in an elegant study. But his face looked the same—somehow tired and lost. Empty. I recoiled before he could lock eyes on my position. It always made me feel weird, like I was intruding.

"We're here," Robbie said, breaking me from my thoughts. I got out of the car without a word and strode over to the swings. I plopped down in one, not bothering to pump my legs, or anything. I just let the momentum sway, and I sensed Robbie next to me.

"No judgments," he warned, scuffing his already-scuffed sneakers into the dirt. "I'll tell you everything, but you gotta promise not to think I'm crazy." He gave me a reproachful look, and I gave him a bored one.

"Rob, no one's going to ship you off to the walnut farm. Even if you are crazy, I swear on God's grave I will tell no one." I crossed my fingers over my heart. If I had a soul, it had definitely just flown out the window… metaphorically.

"Okay." He took a deep breath, looking at the stars. "Madison didn't exactly… die. She changed." He shot a sideways glance at me.

Aw, crap. I knew where this was going.

"So, she asked me to keep it a secret, because she couldn't stay in Alabama anymore. She had to go up North. Somewhere like Maine, or something." Crap. Crap, crap, crap. "So, we faked her death, so whatever funeral you heard of, it was the staged one. She never really died, but I can't tell you what happened to her either."

"I think I know," I whispered. He shot me a startled look, his knuckles on the swing set white. "Rob, what were you throwing into the fake grave?"

His knuckles became whiter. When he spoke, he forced his words through clenched teeth. "I was tossing in a duplicate over a necklace I'd gotten her for her sixteenth birthday. Why? How did you know that?"

I didn't dare meet his gaze. "Because I just know things. Rob, do you remember those hunches I used to get?"

"Yeah," he answered smoothly. "You always used to get us out of trouble. Why? Cara, what the effing hell are you talking about? Spill, already!"

I sucked in air through my nose and let it out in a gust. "I'm having a hunch that she's… a vampire."

He didn't answer for a very long time. That was all the answer I needed. When I chanced looking at him, he was staring at me with a mixture of shock and admiration on his face. "How in Sam's hell would you know that?" he muttered when he could speak.

Well, I reasoned. He already knew about all the mechanics… He and his sister were closer than ever. "Because I am one."

I sensed him blink. "No you're not," he mumbled after a moment. "If you were, how come I ain't dead? And you don't shine in the sun, and you eat normal food! I've seen you."

"It's a… power I have. I can be somewhat/mostly human when I need to. It comes in handy. I also know everything I want to, I just have to know what to look for, and I have to be focused. But… Bad news? I am currently on the run from… the Volturi." 

"What law did you break?"

I turned my head to stare at him. "Do you study or something? Because, I mean—"

"I have a cell phone now, Cara. Alabama is moving up with the twenty-first century, nowadays." He motioned me to continue, and I did.

"I didn't exactly break any law," I said slowly. "It's more of, girl gets captured, girls stays and gets used to everything, then girl runs away to be a hero type of thing. Cliché and classic, but that's life for you."

"So you ran away? Is that why you've been acting so different?"

"Nah." I raised my eyes to the heavens and held them there, blinking back tears. "I didn't even know I was acting different. I was trying to be normal as possible."

"Never works," Robbie said. And I agreed with a mumble. "So who's the boy?"

"W-What?" No. Please do _not_ tell me it was that obvious. Please.

"Cara, I'm no rocket scientist, but it doesn't take one to figure out that you're lovesick. Now, answer the question: Who is this dude?"

I bit my lip. I would edit, tell only basics. _Lie your butt off, Cara,_ I urged myself. _This is what you've trained for your whole life._

"A friend I met in Italy."

"Ah, so you are one of them honky-tonk girls who pour over them foreign guys. I see how you've changed." He laughed a little. I didn't, because I remembered exactly what I'd first felt with Matt—anger, denial, hurt, rage, resistance. I remembered how I'd spoken with him. I'd been a complete bitch, and he'd put up with me. _And all the girls in America obsess over Italian boys. Psh,_ I recalled saying, and fully regretted it.

"I guess I am," I said, trying to keep my voice from cracking.

"And does she have one of them accents?"

"Kind of." I thought about it. "But I guess he's been a lot of places, because there's this hint of it, but he covers it up." A felt a tear slide down my cheek. Damn karma.

"Did he leave you?" Robbie asked quietly. I shook my head, feeling my chest rip apart.

"No."

There was silence for what seemed like an eternity. "Did he die?" Rob asked finally. And my chest seemed to rip again—the thought of Matt _dying_… was Robbie crazy?

"No." I took a deep breath, about to tell my best friend about the hardest decision I'd ever made, and—

"Then why do you look like you just got run down by a semi?" He cracked a smile, obviously trying to get me to laugh, but I couldn't. He stopped abruptly, looking up again. "What happened, Cara?"

My breathing came in raged gasps from my crying. "He didn't even do anything!" I bawled, leaning over and sobbing into my knees. "He loved me, but I thought I didn't care. And you know what? I left! I told myself it was because I needed to rescue Jaime, but I just couldn't deal with the guilt anymore. Because it was frikken obvious he cared about me! He saved my life, he got mad at Demetri, and Jane, and Lucas! He never tried to command me to do anything!" I was in hysterics by now, not exactly sure of what I was saying, what I was letting Robbie know. "And I left! I just left! I jumped the wall, and the band broke, and then I stole a car, and then tried to pass Italian currency for Euros! I mean, my God—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Robbie interjected, a bewildered look on his face. "Slow down for a moment. Who the hell are Demetri, Jane, and Lucas? And what did you do? And who saved your life! You've completely lost me."

I'd calmed slightly. "That's probably a good thing," I choked out, wiping my eyes. "I just… I'm just such a… I don't know! I want to go home!"

It was the first time I'd said it aloud. I blinked, surprised I'd let my feelings out. I'd just, held them for so long—basically seven years—that they needed release. But it was true. I wanted my family back. But I wanted Matt with them. I wished he could just quit the Volturi and come with me. But beggars can't be choosers.

"Cara, it's almost four in the morning," Robbie said about an hour later. "I know this is a terrible time, but I seriously have to go."

"It's fine," I said in monotone. "Don't worry about it. Go."

He left, and I focused on Matt. He was sitting by what looked strangely like Esme's kitchen. I looked harder, and he met my gaze—the most creepy thing he could do. He shook his head, a grim smile on his face. "I must be crazy," I heard him say. "But… if you can even hear me… Cara—"

I felt a yank on my shoulder and I fell out of my seat. NO! What the hell! I was about to frikken communicate with Matt! I opened my eyes after my bout in mental cussing, and immediately wanted to shut them again.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the human immortal. Long time no see, eh?"

I felt my blood run cold. I hadn't meant this kind of home.

_Lucas_.

**OOO**

**Yeah, yeah yeah. I know—I'm evil. What else is new?**

**Yes, the website! THE LINK IS ON MY PROFILE. Please, please, please check it out. Some of the questions from **_**Moonrise**_** really had me wanting to tear my hair out.**

**Leave your thoughts if you wish. **

**Jamie**.


	12. Hear Me

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 12: Hear Me_

**Hear Me: Kelly Clarkson.**

**And… you people will think I have some weird obsession with Spiderman, but… I seriously don't. The spandex is awesome and everything, but really…**

**OOO**

"What the hell are you doing here?" I forced my voice to be angry, annoyed. I didn't want him to know I was scared. He just smirked at me as I got up and wiped my jeans off. "I wouldn't take you for an Alabama boy."

"Nor I you," he answered. His voice was friendly, but I wasn't trusting him. When my gaze did not waver, he laughed. It was that trying-to-be-polite-but-I-know-something-you-don't-know laugh. Man, I needed to find I different name for it. "Actually, I skipped into town to round up a couple of old friends."

"Friends? You?" I scoffed, flipping my hair back. "Since when?"

His eyes flashed dangerously. _Careful Cara,_ I warned myself. _Watch it_. "You don't know anything about me," he said, grinning, "or what I can do."

"You can't do anything to me anymore. I'm collected, and I'm in control. Watch. Your. Step, Lucas." I kept my face cool, betraying no more emotion.

"Are you?" he asked. "What exactly did dear Matty tell you about me? Anything? Nothing at all?"

"Why would he tell me anything about you?" I asked nonchalantly. He laughed his bitter laugh. I tried not to narrow my eyes in frustration. "Why?" I demanded again.

"You haven't _guessed_?" he said, faking astonishment. "Can't you see the resemblance? Can you really not tell?" No, I couldn't. I was completely lost. When I remained mute, he allowed, "We're _brothers_."

I tried desperately to keep the shock from my face. Lucas? Matthias's brother? Oh, the irony! The love of my life and my arch enemy… related? Impossible. They… well, on closer inspection, they did look something alike. But that was besides the point.

"Ah," Lucas sighed knowingly. "I see he kept that tidbit from you."

I suddenly felt the urge to defend Matt. "I never asked," I replied haughtily, my eyes glowering at him. "He probably—"

"Didn't want to upset you?" he finished for me. "That's a nice way of putting it. What he didn't want was for you to judge him based on me." Lucas's face transformed into a sneer. "He's always pushed me behind him, hiding me. I've always been his shadow."

I glared at him. "That sucks for you, then," I growled. He smiled, but it wasn't a friendly smile. It was a bitter one—probably at my stubbornness—and he wanted me gone. It was clear on his face.

"Do you think I didn't see it?" he asked. "Did you think I couldn't notice the way he gazed at you when he thought I wasn't looking? The way he protected you? The way he beat my ass just so I would stay away from you?" I refused the urge to bite my lip. Pain was uncurling through my body, emotional, hazardous pain. I hoped he wouldn't see it in my eyes. "Did you think," he continued, advancing while I stood my ground, "that I wouldn't notice that my one and only brother loved you?"

I glared up at him, my go-to-hell look (as Emmett had deemed it) clear on my face. "What the hell does this have to do with me? I didn't make him fall in love with me, so why are you here?"

"Oh, I'm not saying it's your fault at all." He grinned again, his teeth gleaming dangerously. I didn't let my guard down. "I'm saying that you mean something to him, and… haven't you ever watched _Spiderman_? 'Attack his heart' I think they said. Didn't sound like a bad idea."

He walked slightly away, and I followed him with my eyes. I didn't dare switch back to my vampire form—I hadn't fed in months. At least two. I probably stood no better chance at fighting him whether I was a human or a weak-freak (no offense). I had to bluff my guts out—that was the only way I stood any chance of survival whatsoever… unless my father showed up out of nowhere in the next ten seconds, but I highly doubted it. Even if Alice had seen this, I was doubtful.

"Love me?" I asked, trying to backtrack. "I'm a bitch. He couldn't love—"

"I don't doubt you're a bitch," he said, not turning to look at me. "So I guess my brother was into the bitchy type."

"Was?" The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them. _Shit_. I hadn't meant to betray anything.

I could almost feel the weight of his triumphant smile.

"He's dead," he said, shrugging. I didn't believe him for a moment. Why? First of all, I seriously doubted it would be that easy to kill Matt. He had only fought Lucas a gazillion times from what he'd told me, not to mention I had an eyewitness account. Second, I had just witnessed him trying to talk to me practically two minutes ago. So… Lucas had no idea about my powers. He thought I was just a human figure. Thirdly, it was so cliché, I wanted to throw up. Seriously. Get real.

"_Right_," I drawled, a smile etching its way onto my face. "And how exactly is he dead?"

He turned, and his expression was so composed and malicious, I would've believed him if it weren't for my uncanny ability to know things. "I killed him," he said simply. I knew he was lying through his teeth, but I had to come up with something that wouldn't give away my power. I looked up at him, and I was sure my expression was triumphant.

"You? You killed him?" I laughed, my voice a taunting sneer. "The brother who was always in the shadow? How could you possibly kill him? What could you possibly have done? That's the biggest load of BS I have ever heard in my _entire existence_."

I was still laughing when I realized I was pinned to the ground, his foot on my chest. My mind fazed back to the night everything had changed, when Jasper had been trying to stop me from escaping. I only half-wished I had listened to him. Lucas looked down at me in mock pity.

"You said you wanted to know how the little brother couldn't have possibly killed the vampire that was forever above him? I don't know, Cara. You tell me. See, after you… escaped, my brother began to spiral downwards. He put on a good show for Alec and the rest of the guard, but Caius—the relationship man—realized what was going on." He smiled a smile full of malice, and my mind was calculating fast. What could I do to get the hell out of this situation? "So, my brother was becoming pathetic. He was mopey, he wasn't talking as much. He wasn't even feeding. Aro had to command him to go on hunting trips." I was staring up at him in horror—had I really had that much of an effect on him? "So… he was defenseless. I caught him by surprise."

"You're a horrible liar!" I hissed before I could stop myself.

He raised an eyebrow. "Denial? Nice. But, by curiosity, why on earth would you think I'm lying?"

"You said you wanted to wound his heart. You wouldn't be trying to do that if he was already dead, imbecile. _Dur_." I grinned in my triumph. "You do know it's a given fact women are, in general, smarter than men?"

He glared at me. "Maybe I'm trying to break _you_."

"You said you're quarrel wasn't with me. So," I halfly waved my arm. "Get the hell off me. Either he's dead and you hate me, or he's not dead and you still hate me. Pick your poison. Should be a TV show, don't you think? Vampires and all? That'll give the Volturi a kick in the ass—" I stopped abruptly. The Volturi… something that Lucas had said made no sense.

"How could you have known all of that?" I asked him, my eyes narrowing. "You were expelled! Or was that a lie, too?" My mouth was set in a firm line. Truth was, I was scared, and I wanted to go home now. But I didn't know If I would live long enough to be able to.

"I can stalk people, Cara. It's really not that hard. You're little boyfriend went looking for you almost a week after you left and didn't show back up. Caius said, on dear Matt's behalf, he couldn't… 'exist without the one he loves'." I felt my jaw clench tighter as he laughed a brutal laugh. "Don't look so upset, Cara," he told me, still using his friendly tone. "I'm only telling you the truth as any good friend would."

My teeth grinded together and I spoke through them. "You're no friend of mine. You never will be."

He removed his foot and began walking away. I stared after him, sure he was planning on giving me false hope and then attacking me with full force. But he kept walking, and I didn't dare say anything or call out a rude insult. Hell, I was lucky to be alive.

My breath baited as he stopped. Then he turned, and I could only see a quarter of his face. But what I saw chilled me more than I was already chilled in the cool night air. His eyes were aflame in hatred, and even though he was roughly a mile away, I could hear him clearly as he hissed, "I always get what my brother gets, always wants what he wants. So you can run if you like, but know… I'll catch you. I'll do anything to get my hands on something of my brother's. And that's what you are—property."

As he disappeared, my finger strayed to where my bracelet would've been had it not broken. _Property_… His harsh words echoed loudly in the recesses of my mind. Was that what he saw me as? Some prize he needed to win to prove himself better than his brother?

My earlier relief was flooded over with dread. I needed to get home. Now.

**OOO**

That night I packed my things. _So you_ _can run if you like, but know… I'll catch you_. Those words haunted me as I packed away my clothing, stored food, and tucked away any loose items into my duffle. I was holding back crying in my shock. I should've paid more attention. Should've listened harder. I could've prevented it.

But where to go to? I didn't have a home. I didn't know where my family was, and even if I wanted to find out, I couldn't bring Lucas there. My foe had said Matt had been trying to find me, but every time I tried to find him, he shut me out. Except that last time… but I was too scared to go back there. What if he was fed up with caring? What if he _didn't_ care?

What was I to do?

I had no where to go, no one to turn to. I couldn't lay my head on anyone's shoulder—what if Lucas followed me as threatened? What would happen then? Would they die? Would he kill me in front of them? I shuddered, huddling deeper into the blanket I now had wrapped around me.

_I want my daddy,_ I thought helplessly. I sounded like a child to myself, and it hit me just how much I was. I was practically twenty in the years I had been alive. I needed an adult. I wasn't ready to face the dangers of the vampiric world alone. I needed my family. I wanted my family.

_Please,_ I thought again, too devastated to think clearly. _Please, please, please_. I didn't know what I was pleading for. I only knew I needed someone, and that someone couldn't know about anything.

As I lay there, hoping to get some sleep despite my silent pleas, I felt something wet hit my arm. I moved my hand to my face and gasped at the liquid on my cheeks. "Oh, man," I mumbled, my voice cracking. I wanted to go to sleep and wake up at home—Emmett jibing me about my anger management issues, Alice and Rosalie sighing and saying how much I was like Edward. Then I would get angry and Jasper would plead me to tone it down. Edward would be playing the piano, Bella sitting beside him. I would watch them with slight jealousy—wishing that were me and Matt together. And Esme would be gardening or cleaning while Carlisle saved lives.

I'd take that anyday. I did not want some insane freak stalking the life out of me, literally.

I carefully grabbed my pillow and cried into it—cried until I fell asleep.

**OOO**

The next morning, I woke with tear-tracks down my face. I rubbed them off in anger, looking at my room. Clothes were strewn everywhere—it was as if a tornado had passed through. My pillow had salt residue from my tears, and I bit my lip.

I had to get out of there. There wasn't any other choice. Sure, he'd said I couldn't run. But screw that—I'd be an idiot for not trying. So… I would leave today. I was almost sure Alice had seen my encounter with Lukey-Darling, because my dad probably had her keeping taps on me. She would probably be freaking out by now, and they would be coming any time to get me.

I took a deep breath, glancing around the room for any other items I might need. I packed the rest and shouldered my bag, using the stairs instead of the window this time. I stopped in the living room as Mrs. Henry glanced up at me.

"Going somewhere, sweet?" she asked, and I sighed. I was starting to feel compassion for people, which wasn't really a good thing.

"Yeah," I said, faking a smile. It apparently worked, because she smiled back. "You see, my cousin called, and she said I could crash with her for a few months. Not like I don't absolutely love Waterloo, it's just—"

"You miss your family." Her face had that knowing look that only old ladies got. But I appreciated her. Respected her.

I sighed again. "You have no idea," I said darkly, and she didn't. "I just wanted to thank you for your hospitality. I don't know where I would've gone had it not been for this. Again, thanks. I really felt welcome."

"You _are_ welcome, sweet," Mrs. Henry said kindly. She, despite her great age, reminded me of Esme. "If you ever happen across Waterloo again, just give us a ring."

I smiled, this time genuine. "I might," I allowed. No need to tell the woman I was either never being let out of the sight of my father again… either that or getting captured by a psycho vampire who was intent on being better than his brother, my maybe-lover. She would probably be liable for a heart attack.

"I'll tell Mr. Henry of your thanks. Now get goin', darling. Your car is in the garage out back." She gave me a long look. "I'll miss you," she told me earnestly. I smiled hugely and gave her a hug.

"Again," I said, "thanks for everything."

We said out last goodbyes and I trudged out to my Aston Marten, frowning slightly. Her comfort had not sated my anxiety. I still felt the bad premonition that something horrible was going to happen. I wanted to crawl into a hole and fall asleep, and when I woke up, I'd be home and safe, and even Matt would be there.

_Matt_. I blinked back the tears and bit my cheek. _Don't think about him,_ I told myself. I didn't need distractions when I was trying to save my own life. That was just one more thing I couldn't add to my list. But I couldn't help but wonder if he still loved me. If he could possibly love me after I knew what he was doing, and he'd tried to talk to me, and I wasn't giving anything back. I promised myself that if I ever saw him again, I would apologize tenfold, do whatever he wanted so he knew he could trust me again. Not like I didn't have to do what he wanted before… but still. It was the thought that counted.

But I was realizing something. I was making myself a hell of a lot of promises that might never happen.

As I reached my car, I saw a piece of paper in the windshield wipers. My heart constricted and my face flushed in anticipation—despite the cool February air. I snatched it and read it quickly, letting my face go blank as I understood the meaning.

_I always get what I want._

That son of a bitch! I ground my teeth. I should've known he was stalking me, and what's more, was that I'd led him to the Henrys. Guilt washed over me as I ripped it in half, glaring at the strips as they fell to the icy ground. _Screw it_, I thought, getting into my car and throwing the duffle in the back. I didn't care if he followed me for a thousand miles—I was going to go home, dammit, and he wasn't going to stop me.

My tires squealed again as I drove the short spurt to Robbie's place. I needed to talk with him first, let him know nothing had happened to me last night… And well, what had happened he didn't need to know about. I couldn't burden him with that information. It would probably cause his demise.

My life just kept getting more freakin complicated.

I stopped the car and stared up at the house for a while, not sure if I really wanted to go in. Not sure what my story would be. Not sure how I was going to live through this. My journey was stretching ahead of me, and I knew I wouldn't be able to turn to anyone for help for the next few days. I'd be racing along the interstate, trying to outrun my enemy. That was, if he chose to follow me, which I was pretty sure he would. I couldn't stop to feed. He'd probably get me when my instincts were on food and not on protection. I had to stay human until I got to… somewhere.

I got out of the car and walked up the driveway. I had to speak with him just for a moment. Then I would be able to leave and never look back. I was already calculating my every move. I wished Alice were here. She would let me know about my future. I could look myself, but I had absolutely no idea what to look for.

Robbie was at the door before I could knock, and let me inside. "What happened to you?" he whispered as he closed the door, giving me a once over.

"Hey," I growled. "I resent that. I thought I did a proper job in making myself look normal." But my tone was too bitter and strangely shaky. I shoved my hands in my pockets and sat down on the couch. Robbie sat across from me, but I didn't meet his gaze.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" he asked so quietly I wasn't even sure I heard him. But I answered anyway.

"I have to. Seemingly my family's found me," I lied. "I have to meet up with them. I'm finally going home." I tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace, and Rob noticed.

"You don't have to go, you know," he told me. "You can stay here. Do they even know where you are?"

"I'm pretty sure," I allowed. I was sure Alice had seen me here, but I didn't want to tell Robbie everything. "So, why run? I mean, it's going to catch up with me sooner or later, so I'd rather it be sooner." My words were lies, and I felt horrible, but I had promised myself that I wouldn't bother with troubling my best friend.

He sighed. "Well, before you go then, I have something that's yours."

I blinked. "What?"

"Maddie, my sister, left it for you. Somehow knew you'd be back someday." He tossed me a bundle wrapped in tissue paper, and I carefully peeled it back. Inside, I found an iPod nano, but I wasn't sure what the significance of it was. When I gave Jaime a quizzical look, he shrugged and said, "She put songs on there for you. I don't know. It's rather strange, I think, but, whatever. I guess she thought you needed more music in your life."

"If you ever see her, tell her thank you for me." I knew it would somehow come in handy… somewhere. But right now I needed to leave. I got up and hugged him. "I'm sorry," I told him, "but I've really got to go."

"I understand," he said, and I left. I was walking down the driveway, placing the earphones in my ears and turning on a song at the highest possible volume when I heard something loud. Loud and devastating. I felt heart wash over me, and I looked behind me with resent.

_Shit_.

It was more than that, really. My whole body constricted in shock, my mind racing ahead, my legs already ahead of it. I pulled up my sweater to cover my nose and mouth, tumbling into the flames.

Rob's house was on fire.

No, it was destroyed. It looked like aftermath, the way only the frame of the house was in tact, the way I smelled burning wood and sulfur. I was already in what I thought was the hallway, searching desperately for a nonexistent door I knew Robbie would be behind. "Rob!" I yelled, instantly coughing. "Rob! Where are you? Answer me!"

The smoke was curling around my face; I knew I would die if I didn't save him soon. I heard a groan from the burnt door on my left and knocked it down. Robbie was lying there, his legs and arms burnt and his hair singed. His blood was everywhere. I refrained from screaming. "W-what happened?" he asked through his teeth.

"I guess it was a bomb," I said, my voice lightning quick. "But who would bomb you? Who would have the tools?"

"I don't know." It was obvious he was in pain, maybe slightly delusional. Then his eyes snapped open. "Cara!" he exclaimed, grasping my arm and forcing me to bend over. "What are you doing here?" Okay, he was really delusional.

"I'm saving you!" I growled, looking around for something I could drag him on. There was still time—his burns weren't that bad.

"No, Cara. There isn't time. I'm dying anyway, and the nearest hospital is two hours away. I'm not going to make it." My mind went blank, shielding me from his words. I stared at him in shock. Yes, he was. I could drive him. He was strong, he'd make it through. I knew it. "Just. Go."

"No!" I yelled, slightly hysterical. "I'm not just going to leave you!"

"Yes you are." Robbie's eyes were determined. "I can feel it. It's my time to go."

"Oh, please!" I hissed, angry at him for giving up so easily. "Do _not_ pull the 'white light' shit on me. I'm getting you out of here, and you're coming with me. Then I'll speed you over to the hospital, and they can treat you for those burns. I'll even pay for it, you'll be fine—"

He yanked on my arm again. "No, I won't. If you stay here any longer, you'll die from the smoke. You'll suffocate or burn. You can't be Spiderman, Cara. You aren't _that_ talented." There was a ghost of a smile on his face as his eyes started to fade. "Make sure you tell my sister I love her, and make sure you get back together with your someone. I love you, Cara. You're the best friend I've ever had. Tell Kayla I love her too."

I gapped at him. _No!_ This wasn't happening. "I love you, too, Robbie."

Then he was gone.

I stood up, but before I did, I carefully unfastened the shark tooth necklace from around his neck. I placed it around mine, and walked out the door, oblivious to the fire swarming around me. _The movies got it right,_ I thought, because I could hear nothing. Everything was slightly slow-mo. But when I reached the door, I saw the red eyes of my enemy, standing in the far off trees. A smirk was present on his face. _I told you,_ he mouthed.

And then it was extremely clear to me. His presence had brought back my sense of time.

"I'll kill you," I vowed, my words forced out through clenched teeth. "I promise you on Robbie's grave I will kill you."

And then the eyes disappeared.

To angry to yell at him, I walked to my car. I took deliberate steps, afraid if I got too carried away, I would hit something. It didn't feel right to leave his body to burn. But he'd told me he'd always wanted to be cremated. I shook my head at my cruel humor. Truth was, he was right—if I stayed, I would die. And Robbie didn't want that. I knew he didn't.

I left my friend behind me, screeching away into the dusty road. I refused to let my tears fall, but I felt the sting behind my eyes. _I'm so sorry, Robbie, so sorry_, I kept repeating, over and over again until that was all I could think. I knew it was my fault. If I had just left without talking to him, Lucas wouldn't have worried about killing him. If I had just left, Robbie would be alive.

"Bastard," I muttered angrily a while later, thinking of Lucas. I was nearly a couple states up. "Good for nothing son of a—"

My breath caught. My eyes widened. I saw it before I felt it, which is a strange sensation, if it ever happens to you. I tensed, preparing myself for death, for absolute oblivion. I felt the metal crush around me, constrict my chest. I gasped out, trying to change—but there wasn't enough room, not enough time. I screamed as I experienced the awful pain—the blood running across my eyes as the glass groaned in protest and cracked, showering me.

I might've hated fainting, but I gave into the blackness without restraint. Anything was better than this.

**OOO**

**Again, please don't kill me. I know this chapter was dark, but this is only another plot twist, which will mean more story. And this chapter was long, so hopefully it will sate thee.**

**If you aren't able to figure out what happened at the end, either enjoy it, or if you're absolutely dying to know, ask. But whatever. I tried to make it pretty obvious.**

**Jamie. :)**


	13. Given Up

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 13: Given Up_

**Given Up—Linkin Park**

**Guys, **_**quick note**_**: The ending paragraph was Cara's view of a car crash. She is **_**not**_** going to die. I told you there was more to come, and she can't die even if she was human, which will be explained later.**

**PSSST: One seriously mother of all bad words in the chappie. Sry. **

**OOO**

My head felt as if someone was shrinking my skull. Either that, or it was too small to hold my pulsing brain. I couldn't form any coherent thoughts, because I also had the sensation of swinging side to side, like when you're dizzy. God… what the hell had happened to me?

Although I experienced the feel of glass piercing my eyes, I forced them open… slightly. The room was swaying, or… my _feet_ were. My brain was sluggish, as if I'd been drugged, and I couldn't manage to lift my head. Which told me I was looking down and swaying above the ground. I was stuck staring at the moving floor, and my back screamed in agony. I tried desperately to shake off the cloud above my head, behind my eyes.

It seemed like hours later when I could finally lift my head, and the feeling was back in my arms. I strained my neck back, glancing up. My wrists were tied above me, the raw ropes chaffing against my human skin. This tidbit of information confused me. Where the hell was I? I couldn't remember anything, and my mind struggled to recall what had happened—but it only made my headache worse. I dug back into my memories, which were blurry and undecipherable, and I could hardly remember who I was.

But then, like a dam exploding, the memories crashed over me, and tore me to pieces. I saw everything from an out-of-body point of view. Lucas, above me, holding me down with his foot. Me, crying my heart out. Robbie tossing me the iPod. The force of heat washing over me as I turned to face the scene of Robbie's demise, so slowly, so scared. Smoke filling my lungs as I raced through the burnt halls of Robbie's house, searching for any sign he might be alive. Robbie's delirious gaze, then those very eyes fading, his body limp in my arms. I _felt_ the sting of tears in my eyes as I vowed my promise. Me, cursing as I flew down the road, dust billowing behind me. Then, my eyes going wide, my mind blank. The very _pain_ of my car being crushed, the metal forming around me. My scream echoed through the empty woods. Birds flew in all directions. Then, blackness.

I wrenched my eyes opened frantically, desperate to escape the memories. But as soon as my eyes landed on the person standing in the room, I wished I was back in the past. I grinded my teeth together, trying to evade my desire to spit in his face.

Lucas was lounging in the door way, a brutal smirk on his face. I scowled at him, no longer afraid. I was freakin' pissed off. If the rope hadn't been restraining me, and I had been able to change, I would've gone Karate-Cara on his vampire ass. "What the hell am I doing here, you—"

"Language, Cara," he chided mockingly, and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to cuss him out right there. But I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn't really in any position to start throwing around threats. I had twisted until the rope dug into my skin, and I was biting the inside of my cheek to keep from wincing. He strode over to me until his head was level with my breasts, and if I could have felt my legs, I would've kicked him in the groin. Who gave a friggen damn if he was rock-solid? "You see," he said as he began to circle me, "I told you, warned you, that I always got what I wanted. What my _brother_—" the word was spoken with venom "—got. I know he had you in bed, so I have a proposition for you."

I struggled to keep my composure as my chest filled with dread. I had a terrible idea of where this was going.

"Either turn back into you're little vampire self and let me have my way with you, or—"

He stopped at the expression on my face. I couldn't see it, but I felt it. Angry heat was burning in my cheeks; my scowl almost hurt my eyes. My eyes must've been shooting fire, because he raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Excuse me?" I hissed, my voice coming out livid and filled with loathing. "Please tell me you're proposing this as a joke."

"No—"

"In your dreams, Shitface!" I growled, hiding a smile of satisfaction of the look on his face. Emmett would have enjoyed that. My anger poured adrenaline into my veins, and I aimed a kick at him. He sidestepped, closer to me, looking at me with fury in his eyes. I didn't care if he killed me now, but I yelled, "Fuck off!" I hadn't used that word in ten years—and back then, I didn't know what the heck it had meant. I was beyond livid by now.

"That's the idea," he snarled, crossing his arms.

To refrain from screaming every cuss word I knew at him, I bit my cheek until I could taste blood. His eyes went down a color level, and I pulled my voice together. "I'd rather rot," I told him menacingly, collecting the small amount of saliva I had—due to my dehydration—and spitting in his general direction. He dodged again, but that only multiplied my anger. I glared at him until he smiled his bitter smile.

"If I can't have you," he sighed, "there's no use in me waiting to kill you. But…" His smile grew strangely sadistic, and I tried not to squirm. "Your aunt—Alice, isn't it?—can see the future. So, I'm very nearly positive she's seen this little scene already. I'm also very nearly positive she'll also see what I intend to do to you."

_Oh, crap_. I tried to keep the shock and guilt off my face. I'd missed my chance to ask him where I was being held, and now Alice would witness my demise? And what happened to lead to it? That also meant Edward—my overprotective father—would see it, too. _Oh, crap, crap, crap._

"You should note that since I want this to leave my brother as crippled as possible—"

"Which reminds me," I blurted out before I could control my voice. Lucas raised both eyebrows, and I composed myself. "What freaking quarrel do _you_ have with _my_ family? Why is this affecting them, too?"

He shook his head, a ghostly smile on his face. "You don't know. You haven't realized?" He laughed a short, frustrated laugh. "Hell, Cara! You just drained half the fun out of this. Allow me to restore it. He's with them, Darling. Where else would he look for you?"

I didn't say anything, because the truth was, I hadn't left any lead—I hadn't _thought_ he'd go looking for me. I'd practically took every precaution to avoid my family, and now I was paying the price. I'd gone to sunny Alabama, practically shunned being a vampire like the plague. I'd—

"So everyone in your family will know, including him. The perfect revenge. But… there is, indeed, something missing." He shook his head in mock deliberation. "I must make it sweeter," he decided, and evil glint in his eyes. "You death, it will take longer. Each cut of pain will be your worst nightmare. By the time I'm a quarter of the way through with you, you'll be begging for death. That is, if you don't die from loss of blood first." He shrugged as if this was no big deal. A scowl etched itself onto my face again.

_Don't get all shaken up,_ I ordered myself. _He's exaggerating. This is what he wants—your terror. Don't give him the satisfaction._

"Go screw yourself," I snarled dismissively. "Cross me off your little pleasure list. You can't touch me."

"Oh, is that so?" he asked, and so fast I wasn't even sure what had happened, my wrist stung and a small stream of blood trickled down my arm. I looked to Lucas, whose eyes were black. My gaze flitted to his hand, which held a switchblade—_Really_, I couldn't help thinking. _Is this what they teach the famous Volturi guards these days?_ "Oh, this will be difficult," he mussed, mostly to himself. "But it's worth it. Yes, every cut is worth it. You can't kill her yet. Enjoy her pain. Relish in it." He left then, dropping the switchblade on the floor, just out of my reach.

He was insane. Completely and utterly insane.

**OOO**

The days progressed slowly, and soon, I couldn't feel much. I guessed Lucas was cutting my nerves—either that, or hanging from the ceiling was getting to my body. I soon lost track of time, and didn't even flinch when Lucas entered the colonial cell and picked up the knife. I could tell this was getting to him. He wasn't really able to relish in my pain when I wasn't reacting at all.

At first I had been. I'd cussed and thrashed and kicked and bit, but then, I sort of got the idea that there was no way I was possibly being rescued. I had no clue where I was, so Alice wouldn't either. Even if my family searched every colonial prison—which I'd decided this was—they wouldn't find me. Call me emo, but after what I guessed was a month (with thirty or so scratches on my arms), and no one came, I figured the only way I was getting out of this was to have him get bored with me, make him think I had given up, and then when he least expected it, get out of there.

But that was before I learned the next big part of revenge.

He came in, just as every other day, but today there was a new essence of satisfaction on his face. I looked back at him, swallowing my fear, a bored expression on my face. He smiled rudely, and I sighed. What now?

"You're… brother is here." That was all he said, and I felt my limbs grow cold.

Jaime? No. Please, no. How could he have found him? How could he have known? Just when I thought I was liable to escape, he dropped the bomb on me.

Fear? I pretended not to know it. "Brother?" I asked, my voice ridden with confusion. "You didn't do your research. I don't have a brother."

"Really, now?" Lucas smiled again. "Bring him in, Kayla."

_The name_, my mind chided me. _You know the name_.

I knew the face, too. Kayla—_Robbie's_ Kayla—came waltzing in, her face stark white, her eyes a ruby red. She wore an Italian gown, and her hair was done up in Italian fashion. I couldn't believe my eyes. "Kayla?" I choked out. She glanced at me, her eyes dismissing me almost immediately. She didn't recognize me. I remembered what my dad had said about memory and vampires. Something about the venom killing the memory tissue—or most of it.

As I watched Kayla tug on the rope in her hands, my heart sunk. She—a vampire who didn't remember me at all—could have helped me if she wanted to. But it seemed that Lucas had her spelled. She obeyed his every command. My one would-be ally was my enemy.

The rope grew shorter, and I recognized the ragged breaths of her prisoner. They were too shallow to be Jaime's or any one of his friends. That meant—

Alex's dirty face appeared and he was hauled into the cell. His hair was long—reaching below his ears. I could tell his face was pale, even though he kept his eyes on the floor, and his wrists were bleeding. I saw Kayla gulp down her venom, and turn her pleading eyes to Lucas.

"Please, Master," she begged, whispered. He shook his head. "Please," she tried again.

"No," he said firmly, looking at Alex with disgust. At her "master's" rejection, her eyes flashed hungrily to me. "He's not to be touched, and neither is the girl. They're both pawns in my plan. Kill them and you're destruction will follow soon after."

"I don't know him, though," I attempted to lie. "Why bring him to me?"

Alex dared look up as I said this—I could tell he recognized my voice. His eyes lit up in relief and concern as he saw me, clear signs that he _did_ know me, despite my lies. Lucas didn't miss this exchange, and I swallowed hard. What was he planning to do to my little brother?

"The boy begs to differ," he replied snidely, his sadistic grin growing. "This plan is, indeed, turning out to be better than I planed. Dear Matthew will see you in emotional pain too. I dare say that this will hurt him more, don't you think?"

Matthew? Was Matt's real name Matthew?

Alex glanced at me in confusion. "Cara—?"

"Shush, boy," growled Lucas, his voice commanding. Alex shut up at once, but his eyes gleamed in anger and defiance. Lucas gave me a once-over. "Here's the deal," he said, spreading his arms wide. "I'll give you a gift for being such a good girl. You get one hour to talk to this… piece of rubbish. One. Then he gets taken away. You'll learn of what happens to him after. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," I growled. He just shook his head and left, Kayla scurrying after him and locking the gate.

"Cara!" Alex exclaimed, trying his best to hug me even though my feet were a two feet from the ground and his arms were bound. "God, I thought I'd never see another friendly face."

I realized his eyes were strangely haunted, his face dirty with muck and crusted with a few bits of blood. "How long have you been here?" I asked quietly, searching his face for answers.

"A few weeks. Cara, I'm so sorry—I let it slip that I knew you. He was talking about this girl who was the frikken description of you! And so… I kind of got angry." He looked away, embarrassed.

"What did you do?" I asked, looking down at him.

"I cussed him out and asked if he'd done anything to my sister… sorry." He winced, and I realized how much older he'd gotten. Cussing people out? A ten year old? "Should've thought before I said anything. My bad. Jaime keeps telling me to work on that."

My eyes went wide. "Jaime," I told him. "What about Jaime?"

"He's fine. But he's probably going ballistic, knowing I'm gone." Alex's expression grew bitter. "Then again, it's not like I'm actually related to him."

I took that in. "_What_?"

"I'm not Jaime's real brother." Tears filled Alex's eyes and he tried to blink them away. "I'm just Mom's kid."

"What do you mean?" I coaxed. I would've stroked his hair or something, but I couldn't feel my arms, and they were tied up.

"I mean that Maria isn't Jaime's mom. He calls her that, because she adopted him. But Jaime let it slip that I'm just his stepbrother. That Jacob remarried after Caroline died. The only reason I thought I knew Caroline was because Jaime told me stories about her." Alex looked down at his bindings.

"You didn't," I cried, understanding everything at once. "You did _not_ runaway." I knew what that feeling was like.

He looked up at me, anger in his eyes. "I did what I had to do, okay? I wasn't just going to sit there and act like everything was peachy."

"Do you even see where it got you?" I asked. "And why would Jaime tell you that, anyway?"

Alex looked away. "He didn't." Sighing, he continued: "See, I wasn't tired, so I went downstairs for a drink of water, and he was talking to Freesia."

"You eavesdropped," I clarified, sighing. "You know, there's a reason it's called that."

"It's just… I couldn't help it." He looked up at me. "It was too tempting. And then, then he let it slip, and I threw down my glass and ran upstairs before he could tell me to come back. I stayed another night and then I left. I thought maybe I could go to my aunt's house."

I shook my head, ignoring the pain that shot down my spine. "So, you're not a… werewolf?" I hissed the last part. I knew he knew.

"No." He rolled his eyes. "My… _dad_ sent me away because he thought I didn't know, and Jaime doesn't feel the need to change that often in his college. Dad thought it would be better if I wasn't as… _exposed_."

"That worked out real well," I muttered under my breath. Alex gave me a smile.

"You're going to get us out of here, aren't you?" he asked me, and I knew I had to lie.

I took in a breath. "Of course, kiddo. I—"

The cell door banged open, and the ropes dug further into my wrists. I winced against the pain. I was sure my wrists were practically deteriorating. "You said an hour," I hissed at Lucas as he strode over and grabbed Alex by the arm. He cried out in pain, and tears sprung to my eyes. "It's only been fifteen minutes!"

"I found out what I wanted to. I thought he smelled nothing like a dog," Lucas sneered, clamping down harder on Alex's arm. I heard something snap.

"Stop it!" I yelled, desperate. Alex had his teeth gritted together now, and I glanced from his oddly shaped arm to Lucas's face. "I said, stop it!"

He did, but he thrust Alex to the floor, and the poor kid tried to pick himself up. "What did you say?" he asked me, eyes livid.

"I told you to frikken stop it! What's with you? What went wrong with you're dang mind?" I yelled angrily. "No wonder Matt was always better than you—"

A loud clap rang through the air as my head flew sideways. My cheek stung as the cut—placed there a few days ago—fell open, and liquid poured down my cheek. "I'll stop when I want to," he hissed. "But if you're so concerned for the brat, I'll let him go… On one condition."

"Which would be?" I asked, not daring to look at Alex. I kept my head to the side, letting the sting subside.

"Just give me what I want. What you gave my brother," he whispered. "All you have to do is sleep with me, and I'll let him go."

I raised my head, indecision running through me. I knew he would kill me when he was done. When he'd gotten what he "wanted", and most likely, he wouldn't let Alex be. He'd feed him to his servants like steak to the dogs. My gaze went to Alex, who was shaking his head violently. "I know what they're going to do, Cara," he mouthed silently. "It's not bad. I promise."

_He could just be saying that,_ I told myself, forcing myself to meet Lucas's gaze again. He was watching me, a playful, sadistic light in his eyes. _He's bluffing,_ my mind told me. _Use your power._

I looked ahead, and saw what they would do. Maddie, Rob's sister, was chained to a bed, deprived of blood, bites along her arms and legs. Bites like Jaspers. She was weak, I could tell. And then Alex was thrust into the equation, locked into the cell with Maddie. I trusted Maddie. She wouldn't kill him.

"I thought I told you earlier," I replied evenly, giving Alex a wink. "Go screw yourself. Have fun now. You may leave."

"Just one last thing," he added, fury behind his controlled voice.

Almost instantly, memories exploded behind my eyes. Matt, kissing me for the first time. Us together in his bedroom, him looking up from his Latin book with a sexy smirk on his face. Him caring for me after my encounter with Lucas, bringing me soup and water.

Us together in the woods, in the water. Him stopping my hand from hitting the wall, holding me until I feel asleep.

"Stop!" I shouted, and a tear betrayed me, running down my cheek. "Just… stop," I choked out. He smiled his triumph.

"Figure it out yet?" he asked, and I understood.

He could make people relive their memories. He could insert his own. He could torture me with mine.

"I'll take that as a yes," he concluded as another tear slid down my cheek. "And… Kayla, take the boy to the weak one's quarters. Now."

"Bye Cara," Alex called back as he was dragged off. I lifted my gaze and met Lucas's. He was smiling bitterly, meanly, and his voice was rough and crude.

"Really," he sighed sarcastically. "I believe there's something behind this decision of yours. If you'd thought I would kill him, you would've said yes. So, what's bothering me is how you knew I wouldn't."

"You're a sucky liar," I growled, my voice breaking twice. Damn.

"I'll figure it out, you know." He turned to walk away, but stopped and turned slightly. "Oh yes," he said, as if remembering something. "I forgot to tell you. You know your dear lover? Well, I had the most charming chat with Caius a while back. It seems you're tied to Matt in more ways than you think. What makes my revenge even sweeter, here, is the fact that you can feel what he feels—physically and emotionally—and vise versa. Wonderful, isn't it? Odd, but wonderful."

"Wait," I called out. No wonder I'd been feeling those not-me emotions. "I need to know how long I've been here."

"You do? Well, I guess it can't hurt you. You see, I can realize why you wouldn't be able to tell time here. You're underground. No wonder—you can't see the sun, the stars." He laughed shortly, and I looked down. "But, if you must know, you've been under capture for six and a half months."

With that he left, but not before flicking a picture of Matt, his arms around me, smiling and laughing, at my feet. I let the tears fall.

**OOO**

**You guys better love me. I spent all of today writing this. Phew. Sorry, but I'm not proof reading it. I'm sick and I want to go to bed. –saultes-**

**PS: sry for the darkness. It should only last about another chapter, 2 tops. I swear there's a reason for it.**

**Jamie**


	14. Coming Undone

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 14: Coming Undone_

**Coming Undone—Korn**

**Again, guys, I'm so sorry for all the darkness. I promise you it's getting better. Promise. And for the things I didn't clear up in the last chapter, sorry. It sorta slipped my mind. **

**OOO**

I didn't really get why I wasn't dead yet. Yes, I got the essentials—food, water, etc. Hell, I even got to use the bathroom. Well, sorta. Basically, I got a bucket beneath me and my pants pulled down. Fun.

I knew why he didn't have me by force. I was human as of now, and he, unlike my father, was too inpatient to deal with my slowness, and my fraility. He'd probably kill me before I was even unclothed. Which was why I wasn't going to switch forms.

I hadn't seen Alex in a week—but I knew he was okay. His arm had thankfully set right. I think he'd done it himself. Brave kid.

But my mind had begun to form a plan. Kayla was out of the picture—she wanted to kill me herself. But, if I could get Maddie blood, then I could easily get out of here with her help. I hadn't calculated the number of enemies or the vastness of the prison, which I could know at once—but I wanted to know _exactly_ what to look for. I couldn't be sure what I really needed to know—_hello_, I was hanging from a ceiling.

I kept my eye on Alex. Every now and then Maddie would sorta start mumbling to herself about morals, and that would make me tense. Alex was as far as he could be from her, so I had—as weird as it may sound—faith in Maddie.

I was constructing the final phases of my plan when the cell door creaked open. I glanced up and saw Kayla appraising me with cold, lifeless, red eyes. I shivered uncontrollably. They were fine on Matt—even if his were gold now. But in Matt's case they had shown emotion. Kayla's were like unresponsive orbs, hovering for no reason.

"It's funny," she mumbled after a moment, "because I'm starting to remember things. It's strange," she continued, her voice completely monotone, "because I know that in the end you'll die, and I have to abide by that, but another part of me doesn't want to see that happen."

"That makes perfect sense," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Love the person but kill them anyway. Fabulous."

"He… put and end to… Robbie, didn't he?" she asked, and I saw a flicker of pain in her eyes as she processed my silence.

I chose my words with care, noticing I was on thin ice. "You aren't really supposed to remember things," I told her, and she shook her head.

"He made me remember things in order to motivate me," she said. "It's not a big deal."

"So why the hell are you speaking to me?" I hedged. She frowned—the first emotion I'd seen on her face in a long time.

"I'm not exactly sure, kid." She said these statements as if I were a child. I was older than her by almost five years. My eyes narrowed.

"You don't have to do what he says, Kayla," I said after a moment. "He has no control over you."

I knew what she was going to say before she did. And it wasn't just because of my "gift". Her eyes narrowed, her ghost of a smile disappeared. Her eyes lost their luster. She crossed her arms tightly, her lips in a firm line. "You have no idea what's going on," she told me.

Oh, didn't I? Just because I was human didn't mean I was completely oblivious to what was going on. My mind had raced back to related events in the past, or _Jasper's past_. I knew exactly what Lucas was trying to accomplish. And I knew exactly why a lot of his first guards and sentries were going missing. "I know we're in the South, and I also know that what's going on between you and him is based on survival. You don't want to die like the others, right? I mean, being a vampire is about being immortal, not about being strong and crazy for a year, and then… well, you get it."

Her eyes flashed. "How the hell would you know that?"

"I have a coven that has been around for centuries, Kayla," I growled. "And I've been part of one… well, part of one of their guard's—that's been around for even longer. Basically, darling," I hissed, "since the beginning of my race. Or ours, but I don't really fit in with you. I mean, even ones like you are above us captives."

"Like me?" she questioned.

"You know what I mean."

We stared at each other for a very long time. I didn't think it could be worse than this, at the mercy of a much stronger vampire, restrained in ropes, with plenty of other guards out there waiting for Kayla to screw up. I was just glad I wasn't bleeding anymore. Correction: it could get worse. A lot worse.

She said after a moment, "I'm not helping you. I'm more concerned about my life than yours. You're nothing to me. How long did I know you in my human life anyway? Five seconds?"

"How long did you know Robbie?" She winced. I'd struck a cord. Score.

"Just because you were his friend doesn't mean I owe you anything."

"You and I both know that the human Kayla wouldn't do this," I called out as she walked away. She paused at the door, looking at the ground.

She didn't say anything for a moment, and when she did, her voice sounded strange. "The human Kayla's dead. They don't stop your heart for nothing, you know."

"You don't have to be dead," I tried to say as she walked out. "I'm not!"

But she didn't hear me, and then I heard an amused laugh from outside the cell door. "Not yet," Lucas corrected.

"Nor will I ever be," I snarled as he strolled into the room. He leaned against the wall, a appraising look on his face.

"I see you've got your spunk back," he commented. "Attempting to steal away my guard, back talking me. You do know the fact is, you're making all of this just the more exciting?"

"Good for you. That was exactly my goal in life." I looked ahead as I said this. If I looked at his ugly face I'd probably spit in it.

"Ooh, that hurt, darling. So it's back to how it was before? Back to square one? Perfect." He wasn't kidding. I rolled my eyes—faze one of plan: "Get the hell out of this place" was in motion. "But that doesn't mean that we can add a bit more of… what? Square ten?"

I clenched my jaw. _No_, I thought angrily. _No frikken way_.

Images blurred past my mind until he found what he wanted. It was Robbie again, lying in the debris of his house. His face was contorted in pain, his hand gripping mine. "You could have changed him, Cara," taunted Lucas.

"You're wrong," I forced out as the image became all the more clearer. "He was already half dead. You're rather inconspicuous bomb—note the sarcasm—practically tore him apart!"

"Oh, did it? I didn't notice." He paused. "Now what did he look like before that happened?"

Again, I was bombarded with images of Robbie as a kid, him crashing the family car into a tree, me jumping the fence, and then laughing at him when he couldn't get over and the neighbor's dog bit him in the butt. The tires squealing in the mud as we were stuck in the rain. All the three of us—Maddie, Rob, and me—diving behind a bush as the coppers shined the flashlight at the exact spot we'd been moments before. Me punching Jack in front of him—

The images came to a halt.

"Hmm," said Lucas, brows furrowing. "You know dear Jack?"

"I would say we're bottom line enemies," I retorted truthfully. Why was that important? What was with him today? I was saving my very witty: Screw off! for later.

He pretended to examine his nails. He didn't need to—they were perfect, partially because he got his newbies to do all the work for him. Ugh. "That's good to know."

"_Why_?" My tone was not confused. It was arrogant, annoyed, angry, all because he was being twotty. Actually, twotty was good—no, great—compared to this.

"He's a new addition."

I tired to keep the shock and anger off my face. "Are you wiping out the entire population of Waterloo High?" I asked offhandedly. He chuckled, much to my annoyance.

"No, just a promising few," he corrected, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It does entertain me, though, that you seem to know everyone I choose. There was Kayla, Maddie, now Jack… who's next?"

"Who gives a damn who's next?" I mumbled. He grinned at my annoyance and I scowled.

"I'd think you'd… adjust that statement if you were to find out. But I do doubt that you could stop it anyways. I'm on a roll, darling." I sneered at the pet name. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

I just grinned at him. "So do I."

He ignored me pointedly, but I knew he heard me. He was a vampire after all. "I'm making sure the newborns aren't killing humans… yet. That would lead your little family here in an instant. Them and the Volturi. We can't have that, now, can we?"

"You do realize Waterloo is a small town and two murders—well, four: Robbie, Kayla, Jack, and supposedly me—would shoot up their crime rate by, I dunno… a million? Don't you think that such attention would draw my family there anyway?" I gave him a blank stare. I had to distract him.

"Cara, sweet," he said as if talking to a hopeless child. An impossible child that couldn't understand anything at all. "They already knew you were in Alabama. Alice dearest can see the future, remember?"

Like he would know better than me? I almost yelled at him right there, but settled for a sarcastic comment instead: "Naw, I thought she saw the past. No dip, Sherlock. I do believe I know what my own family's uses are." I full out glared at him. He shook his head, that annoying smile on his face.

"You'll see," he said, all smiles bye-bye. He was full-on glaring at me now. "I'll become better than my brother. I'll be more than just a guard. I'll be the head of the guard. And after that, I'll have everyone bowing to my will. You'll see."

I blinked rapidly. Bipolar, much?

Instead, I said, "Vampire world domination. How… original." I smiled without humor; what a dork. He laughed bitterly, and we stared at each other, not making a sound. Finally, he shook his head and looked away, a smile on his face.

"You're tougher than I give you credit for, kid. Tragedy you and I couldn't be better friends."

"Give it a rest," I said without looking at him. "Just go off and die somewhere."

He didn't say anything for a moment. But then memories exploded behind my eyes again, and I grimaced.

"You'll learn," he said, walking out the door.

"And so will you," I vowed to his retreating back.

**OOO**

**This was a filler chapter, so that's why it is so short and took so long. Sorry bout that. Christmas time in my city is crazy. And I had major writer's block. :'( By the way, the "world domination thing is SUPPOSED to be stupid. Lol.**

**So, a mere warning, I might not be able to get internet acces where I'm going on the 26****th****. I'm staying there for a week, so, I'm going to TRY and work on this, but I'm spending time with my best bud who moved away last year, so forgive me if it takes a while.**

**Also, impossible child came from National Treasure 2. "Run along you impossible child!" HAHAHA! That was one of my FAVORITE lines. And don't worry, she'll get out in the very next chapter.**

**Merry Christmas!**

**Jamie**


	15. Time of Dying

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 15: Time Of Dying_

**Time of Dying—Three Days Grace**

**HUZZAH! This is the CLIMAX!!! THE ULTIMATE CLIMAX!!!! YAY!**

**IMPORTANT: Also, please,**_ if_** you guys want yet another sequel, because I like Cara too much to be done with her after this story, tell me what you want it to be about. I'd be happy to write one, but I need ideas, okey dokey?**

**AND ZOMG!!!!! THEY'VE CAST EDWARD!!! AHHHHH! I think no one can live up to his wondrous standards, but he's still good for a movie.**

**OOO**

_Okay_, I thought to myself. _Time to get going_.

I took a deep breath, surveying the ropes above me. My wrists got rawer with each movement—I was surprised they wouldn't have to be amputated. Biting my lip, I began to move my legs back and forth, then my hips and waist. I was gaining momentum.

Sure, I could've just changed into my vampire self, but I had thought about it, and since I hadn't fed in at least seven months, I figured I wouldn't be very strong. That and since my clothes had dried blood on them… well, you do the math.

So I kept swinging, watching the ropes that hadn't been changed in who knows how long give way strand by strand. I felt the sweat rise up—something like this was extremely difficult for me to do. I'd been made weak by Lucas and his antics. I would gain my strength back, but not for a while.

_Come on,_ I silently begged the ropes as they cut into my skin. _Come on…_

It was barely minutes later that there was a loud pop! and I felt myself flying backwards, farther than the restrictions of my rope. My head hit the back wall with a loud crack, and I winced as I thought, _Maybe that was a bit _too much_ swin_g…

I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my head. My hands were resting on my knees, not above my head. This realization took me a moment to further register what had happened. I was… free? Free of hanging from a ceiling?

My mind went into overdrive. I began to tear the broken ropes off with my teeth, careful to avoid contact with my chaffed wrists. I saw the full damage to them once the ropes were gone and gasped. They were red and bleeding a little. A couple scabs covered patches of dry skin. I tenderly lifted a finger and prodded the cuts and bruises, and winced in pain. I took another deep breath to calm my nerves. First things first.

After I untied my legs too, I grabbed the jagged stones of the wall, lifting myself up. As soon as pressure was put on my legs, I collapsed. _Dammit,_ I growled silently. I tried again, and after five minutes, my legs got some feeling back into them—but it didn't feel too hot. It was that tingly feeling you get after sitting on your foot for too long, or sleeping the wrong way on your arm. It was that feeling where you feel as if you move your leg at all, it'll fall right off.

I waited until the feeling subsided, and stood gingerly. I didn't collapse or fall, but I needed blood or else I'd never escape. I listened quietly. I knew there was a rat in the back left corner of the room. I leapt, changing in midair, and drained it. I felt better—a lot better. It was only a rat, but it was filled with life. The life that had just been transferred to me.

I took more deep breaths. I needed motivation. I couldn't do this by myself.

_I swear on Robbie's grave I'll kill you. _

I let my own words echo through my mind, and I frowned, remembering my vow. It began to pump adrenaline through my veins. I could stand and not feel weak. I had to run.

I ran to my cell door and kicked it open. "Yahoo!" I yelled, running down the hall. Lucas and his vampire hearing would've heard the ropes break—I didn't need to worry about noise. I did need to make my way to Alex and Maddie though. I focused on where they would be. I ran down complicated tunnels, higher to the surface. I pumped my legs faster and faster until I was wind. And then, I burst into their cell.

I took in my surrounding at light-speed: Alex was huddled in the corner, as far away from Madison as possible. He glanced at me as I strode over, checking his frail form for any injuries. Besides the broken arm, there were only a few cuts to tempt Madison.

"Cara?" I heard her gasp. I turned to her, and she didn't look like she had the strength to lift her head. "Dear God," she continued, her tawny-black eyes wide. "He told me you were dead. Said that's why he gave me this." With an immense struggle—her arm shook with the effort—she reached behind her and under her pillow, drawing out the iPod. She dropped it into my waiting hand and said, "Robbie gave it to you before he… passed away, didn't he?"

I swallowed, my throat tight. "How…?"

"It's a twin thing," she answered, smiling wistfully. Then, "Does Miss Genius World Record have a plan?"

I smiled at the nickname from my childhood. "We need to get out of here," I launched into my brilliant, rough-created plan, untying Alex's bonds as I talked. "I need your help, but after that you can go back to Alaska or wherever. I, though, have to get Alex back to Jaime. He can't stay with me, and he can't go on his own." I finished with Alex, motioned for him top stay against the wall, and continued to pull on Maddie's chains.

"Your wrists—" She broke off in horror, her mouth open. I sighed, tugging on the chains again, ignoring the pain in those very wrists.

"It's nothing," I huffed, tugging on the chains one last time. The rust flew into the air as I fell back, banging my head on the stone floor.. "That's been happening a lot lately," I growled, getting back up

"Sorry," Maddie said about the same time Alex asked, "What about security?"

I glanced at him, surprised such a question would come from him. I raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked. "I play video games."

I blinked before continuing, "I don't know where we are or how many newborns this goon's got on his guard, but if we work together, then we can keep Alex safe and get the hell out of here. We can wing it," I added, smiling. "But first you need blood."

"I think it hurts so much I've finally gotten used to it," she confessed, grimacing.

I sighed. "Spectacular. Man do I wish my family were here. They'd know what to do." I began to look around the cell. My only option was rats. I could only catch a few, and I handed them to Maddie without saying anything.

"Alex, don't look," Maddie told him with a stern look.

"Oh, come on!" he protested. "I've played Resident Evil! Blood and guts rule!"

I covered his eyes with my strong hand, saying, "Go," to Maddie. I didn't look either. I didn't need more temptation then I already had. I held my arms around Alex, protecting him in case Maddie snapped. She didn't, and I was glad to see her sit up.

"I feel human," she exclaimed, stretching. "God, I can _move_!"

"I get the feeling," I mumbled, uncovering my brother's eyes. "Let's go. Now."

She pulled herself up and was immediately her perfect self. Her eyes were bright and excited, and she said, "Let's go kick some ass!"

"Yeah!" Alex agreed. I shot him a stern look and he shut up. Good boy.

I noticed one of Maddie's wrists still had a shackle around it, but she was free, and that was all that mattered. I pulled Alex on my back and opened the door again. Almost instantaneously, a clang vibrated the walls. The alarm was going off. _Shit_.

"What the hell?!" Maddie called out to me, clamping her hands over her ears. "Isn't this god forsaken prison supposed to be from the seventeen hundreds or something?"

"Who knows?" I yelled back, and motioned for her to start running.

I lead the way, using my power to tell me where to go. The place was like a maze, twists and turns going every which where. "Stupid colonial prisons!" I shouted over my shoulder to Madison. "I remember reading about them in History! They told us that the prisons were built so that runaways either got lost or died before they ever made it out." At Alex's worried glance, I added, "But I know things, so give me a sec to figure it out." I closed my eyes as I ran, letting the information flow forth. I got an image of tunnels twisting and turning, the nighttime sky laden with stars. "This way!" I shouted again, opening my eyes and bursting forward. I felt Alex tighten his hold on me, heard Maddie's footfalls behind me. I turned left, left, one right, and then another left. Then there was the exit. I almost sighed in relief, but kept running.

"You did it, Cara!" Maddie yelled from behind me. I smiled, daring to believe it. Yes, I was free. We were—

Doomed.

"Oh, shit."

That was Maddie. Then came Alex's "Crap" and my never-ending profanities in my mind. I could not believe what was happening. It was insane. Completely wild. And not in a good way.

Each reaction was a big understatement. We were surrounded, a mass of hungry newborns standing right in the way of our passage to freedom. They were all Lucas's little cretins. And Kayla was at the vanguard of them. Fury responded in me, but then I reminded myself that she wasn't Kayla anymore. Kayla was gone.

"He's not here," I told Maddie after I scanned the crowd. "The coward. I should have known when the creep didn't come after me."

"Bastard," she muttered in agreement. I shot her a glare. Alex _was_ still here after all. "Let's take these freaks out, Cara. Just like football when we were kids. All our men are injured, only us left. We have to get by the linebackers with grace. We got to get that touchdown, aka, path to freedom. Also, while we're at it, let's kill the linebackers too. Should be easy." She paused, trying not to notice how ridiculous she sounded. "You with me, Cara? Come on. You totally kicked ass back then."

"Hold up," said Alex from behind me. "if this is so much like football, where's the football?" Neither of us said anything. "_Me_? _I'm_ the football? No way! The football always gets squished!"

"We ain't gonna squish you," sighed Maddie, her tone exasperated. "We promise."

"Watch his arm," I said, handing Alex back to Maddie, and watching as she hitched him onto her back. "You do realize that when we played football back in Alabama, we hand at least ten kids on our team, someone almost always came close to fatal injuries, and we weren't playing the other team a gazillion to two?"

"And you do realize that we need a diversion, right?" she asked, ignoring my question. "We can't just waltz through."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm working on it," I snapped, surveying the crowd. They were waiting for us to make the first move. I'd lead them away from Maddie and Alex—then… well, I'd work that bit out later.

"Hey Alex," I said, turning to him. "If I don't come back, make sure you tell Maddie where you live, okay?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," she interjected before my brother could. Her eyes were angry—black pits of fire. "No way. I said football, not sacrifice, dummy! Lucas and his Volturi-wanna-be cronies aren't gonna off any of us, alright? Stop being that pansy-ass Superman everyone is so obsessed with."

I exhaled. "Finally!" I exclaimed. "I'm not Spiderman. Don't get me wrong—Toby Maguire's cool and all, but really—"

"Stop rambling," Maddie ordered, handing Alex back to me. "Let's go."

"Football," I repeated again, for my own reassurance. "Right."

I took off running, and it was like I was free again, even if I was being chased by fifty or so newbies. I could move my legs, feel the fresh air. I couldn't help it—I laughed. "Yes!" I shouted, forgetting that Lucas was still alive, forgetting I was in so much trouble. Forgetting the very person of who I was.

A high pitched battle cry rang through the night air.

Whoops. That brought me back. I wheeled around as fast as I could, and saw a blondie wheeling towards me. I braced myself as she bowled into me, feeling a strange sense of Link flashbacks from playing Zelda back in the day with Maddie and Rob. My arms absorbed the impact as she knocked me to the ground. I rolled and kicked, and he hissed in pain. I threw him off.

"Cara!" Maddie shouted as one snapped at her. "A little help!"

"Kind of busy, Mads!" I yelled back, dodging another newborn. Holy crap—we were all gonna die. They were frikken everywhere. It was only two and a football against… a million. GAH!

"Cara!" called Maddie again, leaping back in forth between two newbies. She yelled a head's up and threw Alex at me. I caught him and spun around, witnessing a guy that look a lot like a linebacker running at me. Holy crap; It was exactly like football.

I ducked, brought Alex to my chest, and rolled to the ground. I ended up on my back, with Alex locked in my arms. Okay—bad. I rolled again as a redhead tried to crush me and sprang up, running full throttle back to Maddie, who was dealing with only a couple newbies. I threw Alex at her and continued running.

Football…. Football… Okay, this was _nothing_ like football…. It was more like wishing to be Doctor Cox from Scrubs and send all the frikken newbies to hell, cowering in fear. Where were fictional characters when I needed them? I mean, these idiotic, blood crazed fiends were _organized_!

I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the upcoming cliff. Shit! Soon there was nothing but air beneath my feet. _Who builds a fortress next to a watery grave anyway? Oh, that's right, Cara! Everybody!_

I dug my nails into the side of the cliff face and watched as the vamps that had been chasing me plummeted downwards. That would only hold them off for a bit, but I could deal till then. I pulled myself up and grasped the ground—if I were human, I probably would have fallen too. They just fell because they were stupid.

I stood and raced back to Maddie and the ever-present snarling, ripping, and growling. I caught sight of her face behind a couple of jumping newborns and nodded. She threw me Alex and I spun him onto my back. I was still running when he said:

"You know, I think I'm starting to lose my fear of heights." He paused for a moment, and I wasn't exactly sure what he was thinking. _I_ was thinking his comment was completely random, until he added, "Getting thrown back and forth by two extremely strong vampires can do that, I guess."

I blinked. Poor, poor Alex.

"How many are following me?" I asked, and made as sharp turn—the stupid newbies were back… and wet. "Scratch that," I told him as three came into view behind me. "I think I know how many."

Twelve. Huzzah!

"Hey Number 5!" Maddie called out to me. Five was my football number back in the day. "Mind letting me know how to destroy these things? It's cat and mouse, here!"

I didn't really have time to search within my all-knowing self, but I did anyway. Images floated into my mind about a war not too long before I was born. I saw Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle, even _Esme_—who, to me, wouldn't harm a fly. And then there were the wolves. There was a flurry of limbs and chasing, and then I saw Jasper tearing one to shreds, the wolves biting at the newborns with their teeth. Then a huge fire—a purple-black smoke rising to the clouds.

I gasped, wrenching my eyes open. I raced over to Maddie, stopped by her and looked at the faces of the now still newborns. They had all stopped in astonishment at my sudden appearance—they hadn't been expecting me. I kicked one in the jaw and it flew back. Then I turned to Maddie. "Tear them to shreds and burn them."

"Burn them?" she asked incredulously as one snapped at her feet. Do we have any source of frikken fire?"

I thought for a moment. I knew Lucas had a lighter in his office. "I'll get one, I promise," I said to her, trying to ignore Alex tugging on my ragged sleeve. "_What_, Alex?" I exclaimed finally, turning around to look at him.

"That," he said, pointing. Newbies. Big surprise. I took off running.

It was complete chaos. I don't know how long I was chased, but it was getting old. Now I was cornered, and I had Alex behind me, backed against the wall of the prison. We are so totally dead, I thought to myself. Three were in front of me, two on each side. If I kicked or punched, Alex would be at risk.

"Why the H-E-Double-Hockeysticks is my dad here?" I heard Alex say. Damn. Was the boy frikken hallucinating?

I took a quick look to where he was pointing. What I saw was twelve (or more) wolves running off in different directions, tackling newbies in a fit formation. I saw two running at me and recognized a russet wolf and then a black, slightly larger one. Jacob and Sam. "Bye bye, boys," I said, stepping back as there was an explosion of screeches and fur.

I picked Alex up, nodded to my foster father and ran as hard as I could to Maddie. She was helping a young wolf finish off the newbie that had snapped at her earlier. "Watch Alex," I told her, and she detached herself from her task and took him from me.

"Where are you going?" she called over the now booming thunder. "I don't see anyone chasing you!"

"I'm going after Lucas." Maddie's eyes widened and she looked livid. Alex looked at me as if I was crazy.

"WHAT?!"

"Lucas," I told her, placing my hands on my knees and bending over. "I'm going after him. He's gonna be dead in less than an hour. Plus, I have to get that lighter."

She shook her head, the fierce wind whipping her hair around her face. It only made me frightened of her—She looked like Storm from the X-Men, minus the weird glowing eyes. "Are you crazy?" she yelled, probably because of the storm… and because she was angry with me. "Are you positively insane? Do you really think you can take him Cara? By yourself? Plus! This dude here brought a lighter!" She gestured to what looked like Jared (Jaime's friend) only appearing to be five years older and wearing sweats. Had he left? I hadn't noticed. "We don't need one!"

My lips set into a firm line. My voice betrayed no emotion except sole determination. "Maddie, you know I can't let him exist. If I do, this'll just happen all over again. He's gonna start picking off the people I love. After that, he's going into world domination. Does that sound that spectacular to you?" She didn't say anything, and neither did Alex. I saw Jared glance up at me from the corner of his eye and smile in encouragement, so I continued. "As for taking him, I think I have the right motivation."

She didn't say anything for a moment. "Who would you rather I compare you too? Superman, Spiderman, or Robert Neville?" Her stare was cold. She was trying to detach me.

"Robert Neville dies, Maddie. I'm not going to die."

"You don't know that!" she exploded. "Just because you have motivation doesn't mean a lifetime guarantee that you'll continue to exist!" She smacked her forehead. "God, Cara! I can't let you do that alone. Take one of the wolves with you or something. Take me."

I stared her in the eye. "You know I can't do that," I said. Still no emotion in my voice—good. "You know it's something I have to do alone. You know that I wouldn't even bring my family with me in there—even though they'd probably follow me. You know this."

She shook her head, her chin jutting out. Her eyes were bright, as if she were about to cry, but she knew she couldn't. The fight raged around us, almost in that movie-like slow-mo. "No," she said forcefully. "No way in freezing _hell_."

"Have a little faith, Mads. I can do this."

"Please," she begged. "Don't."

My expression was cold. Lifeless. Detached. "I have to," I said. Then the fire returned to my eyes. "I promised, Maddie. I promised your brother."

Her eyes flamed. "He would never ask you to do something like that, Cara."

"He didn't. _I_ did." I felt the urge to sigh, but repressed it. "Maddie, you can't stop me. You know that, too."

"You. Are. An. Idiot." She hissed the words, but her eyes softened before she rolled them.

"Wish me luck," I said with a bit of enthusiasm, leaping forward to hug her. She patted me on the back. "I love you both."

"Don't die," remarked Jared sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at him and he grinned.

"You too, Jer," I said. My mood was beginning to sour. I had a task, and a big one at that. "Bye, all."

Then I was racing to the entryway to the prison, catapulting down the steps. The walls were a blur beside me, and I used my power to tell me where Lucas's headquarters were. When I reached the corridor leading to it, I stopped. I made myself cold, lifeless, strong and ready. I could do this.

Think of what he's done to you, Cara, I told myself. Think of what he did to Alex and Maddie. Think of what he did to you family by capturing you. Think of what he did to Matt, making him feel your pain.

Anger flared within me. That did it. He was so dead.

I walked forward and opened the door, immediately crouching into an attack position. But he wasn't there. I scanned the room thoroughly, including the corners and ceiling. Nothing. I walked to the desk in the middle of the room and pocketed the light green lighter.

_Okay,_ sneered a voice that sounded like Maddie's, _misson accomplished. Get the hell out of here._ I knew it wasn't her. It was my self-conscious trying to get me to do the smart thing by acting like someone I loved. Well, the joke was on my self-conscious.

Another item on the desk was the photo of Matt and I that he'd taunted me with. I pocketed that, too.

I strode over to the big, leather chair and sat down, turning my back to the doorway. I took several deep breathes, trying to mull things over while I waited. The wolves had arrived, but how had they known? Alice had definitely seen me, but if that were the case, they would have been here already.

Weird.

Had the wolves been living nearby? Had they heard the screams and yells and chaos? Had they—

"What the hell are you doing here?"

I froze. I had pictured myself confronting him with bravado, grace, making him tremble in fear. But he'd found me before I could ready myself, and I found the chair whipping around. Lucas's face was inches from mine, angry but controlled.

"I'd thought you would've streaked the hell out of here, but I guess my guard forced you back in here." He smirked. I hacked a loogie—as Rob would say—right it his face.

"Wrong. I came back in here of my own free will," I informed him as he wiped it off his face. "Didn't you hear what I promised my deceased friend?" His face—if it was possible—seemed to pale. His eyes, almost black, began to fade in horror. "I guess so. Well, I'm here to carry it out."

He scowled at me. "Like you could defeat me," he sneered. "You haven't had any blood in nearly a year."

"I don't need blood," I growled. The whole time my leg had been bending, and now I struck my foot to his stomach, slamming him back against the wall. I pushed myself up from the chair and strode over to him, glaring down at hi s shocked figure. "You remember what you did to me? Maybe this—" I showed him my bloody clothes "—could remind you. Or maybe this." I took out the photo and shoved it in his face. He was completely still, glaring at me with every fiber of his evil being. "That, right there, is what I need. All I need is to remember that, and darling," I smiled, "that's what we call motivation."

He did not blink, breathe, speak, or make any move to hurt me, but his eyes laughed at me. I knew what he was thinking—memories. "Don't even try that," I hissed. "It won't work. I know how to stop it." Complete lies, by the way.

"Oh?" he asked, his eyes baleful. "What about… now?"

Images of Matt came into my mind. But it wasn't Matt—it was Matthias. The way he'd been before he knew me, before he loved me. Him, leaning in my car door window. Him, behind the wheel of the truck that pushed me to the edge. Him, speaking to me as I glared at him, asking if he and I could—

I stopped. There was something different about "Matthias". Like… he looked similar to the guy who ran me into the lake, he looked similar to the guy who was leaning in my window, but… the sound of his voice as he asked me perverted questions… if was completely different. _Wig my ass_. It wasn't him.

It was Lucas.

I felt nothing as the torrent of memories came to a halt. When I opened my eyes, Lucas was no longer below me. He was behind me, his hands on my shoulders. I resisted the urge to flip him over those shoulders. "Now," he said, a somber tone to his ugly voice. "Would you really want to go back to something like that?"

"No," I answered immediately. I felt him stiffen in surprise. "Because it wasn't him. It was you, you idiot."

_Now_ I could flip him.

As he landed in front of me, I placed a foot on his chest to keep him there. "tell me," I snarled. "Why the _hell_ would Matt lie about something like that? Why would he protect you, a little bastard of a brother. After he punched you, after he knew you were a threat to me—why the hell did he protect you?" I pressed harder on his chest. "Answer me, or I will kill you here and now."

"In no response to the threat," he growled, "Matthew has always felt that urge, even when I told him I hated him. Whenever I missed curfew, it was him who took the blame. So, I guess he took the blame for me trying to kill you, even if they were orders."

I shook my head at him in disdain. "And yet you still want to hurt him?"

"Just because he stood up for me every now and then changes nothing." His red eyes gleamed dangerously at me.

"It changes everything," I insisted.

"No, it doesn't. I never loved him, not once. He never loved me. He did it because it was what he thought was right. He did it because he knew I was going to hell and he would go to heaven if he did numerous good deeds. That's why."

He flipped and threw me at the wall. I didn't feel anything but fear suddenly, as he came and stood in front of me. "See, we're turning the tables. You are going to die tonight, not me. I have a motive to show my brother what shadows feel like."

"You're not a frikken shadow, psycho!" I yelled. "You got into the guard of the Volturi, just like Matt! What's your deal?" I kicked up again. He flew back.

_Okay, Cara,_ I told myself as I got up. _Go about this fight with grace. No more talking, no more sorrow, just ruthlessness. Kill him. Kill him dead._

I threw myself at him, and we collided. The force of impact was like a ton of bricks falling on my body, and as we rolled and kicked and bit, I gained confidence. Remember what he did, I reminded myself. I ripped his arm from his shoulder and he howled in pain.

"Do you even know what it feels like to love?" I asked as I stood over him. He was writhing in pain, and I almost relished in victory.

"No," he hissed.

"I thought not." In my pity, I didn't even notice I had turned back into a human. I didn't register the knife until it was at my throat. I moved back instantly and the blade slide across my skin like fire. Actual fire. It didn't just burn—it literally _burned_.

I cried out, putting my hand to my throat. The cut hadn't been enough to kill me, but the pain was unbearable. "That," Lucas growled, "will never go away. See this?" He was standing now and he thrust the blade into my face. I cringed back, pressing my hand to my throat tighter. "It's coated in venom. Vampire venom, which leaves a scar on its own kind. Even if you changed, you'll still have to look at that forever." He grinned, which only made me angry.

I changed and collided into him again. I pinned him, holding his hand at his side, and because his other was gone, I placed my other on his throat. "This is what happens when you mess with Cara Cullen and her family," I said with menace. "Outside, there are twelve-plus werewolves, picking off your army and a very POed vampire. In my world, I have three families. One is the wolves, including my brother at Dartmouth—who will be very pissed if he learns I left you alive. Now, we can't have that. The second is my birth family," I continued, pressing harder at his throat. "And the third is Matt and Matt alone. And you can bet on your life—which will be over in just a few moments—that I will find him and tell him what happened. And I can guarantee he won't give a damn if I killed you. Now, tell me I won."

"You won." There was no emotion on his face except defeat.

I smiled without humor before I slashed my nails across his throat and the head was free of its body. I continued dismembering what used to be Lucas until he was a heap at my feet. I ripped a piece of the desk back and laid it on top, and gently bent down and set the lighter to the pile.

"That's _exactly_ what happens." I watched as the flames consumed the twitching limbs and as a purple-black smoke filled the small room. And then I took the duffle bag he'd confiscated hen I came here and left. My task here was done.

**M**addie gapped at me as I walked out and I smiled. I felt free. Lucas was gone.

I noticed that there was a huge, burning pile of ugly newborn limbs. That _elated_ me. I reached Mads and yelled, "Who's your daddy?"

"Oh my effing _god_," she said, her tone subdued. "You're effing _alive_."

I blinked. "Yeah, I'm pretty much in one piece." I gave her the evil eye and said, "Thanks for the obvious support," as the wolves came up.

"He dead?" Jared called out. Sam shot him a look.

"He's gone," I confirmed. Everyone sighed in complete relief.

"Burned?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, Jacob, burned." It felt kinda weird calling him by his first name, but hey. He wasn't my dad anymore.

We remained in silence for a bit. And then I broke the ice. "Alex?" I asked, and realized he hadn't congratulated me when I'd returned. I glanced at him. He was conked out. Completely asleep. "What about Alex?"

Jacob sighed and looked at Sam. "He's safest with Jaime," the Alpha told him.

"_Jaime_ let him run away," Jacob retorted. "_Jaime_ could have handed the kid death on a silver platter."

"Speaking of Jaime…" I asked, kind of interrupting. "Where is he?"

"Still at his house in Hanover." Jacob was glaring at Sam, not even looking at me.

"Doesn't he know?" I asked. Sam sighed.

He looked at me. "No one told him."

I blinked. Ouch. "No one told him where his brother was?" I asked. "He was the one watching him! He's probably worried sick. Why would you dorks do that?" I asked.

They kind of just looked at me. It occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't be ridiculing a pack of werewolves that had just taken down an entire army of newbies.

"He is worried," Jacob confided. "Big time."

Jared looked around. "So… did we get all the bastards?"

Sam shot him another look. I guessed he could be annoying sometimes. "Yes," Sam continued. "Well, all but two."

"Let me guess," I commanded. "A girl with long black hair and an annoying twerp who's a complete idiot?"

Jared nodded. "That describes them pretty well. I mean—,"

Sam cut him off: "You know them?"

"Well," I scoffed, "I'm not exactly on good terms with them. The girl's name is Kayla. She used to be someone I knew when I was in Alabama. Jack… well, he's just a dork."

We talked for a while longer, mostly about what happened. How they had found Maddie and I. "You guys are in Canada," Sam informed us before launching into how they were on a run and heard the fight fifty miles off. Then, bam! Rescue! They also said that the Cullens had contacted them shortly before they came.

"It was that loud?"

"Newborns can be… loud, yes." Jacob stayed when the groups broke off, scavenging for any last pieces of the newbie army. Maddie handed Alex to me, and I handed him to Jacob.

"Sam's right," he said after a moment. "He can't stay with the pack right now. And since Lucas is out of the picture, he has to live with Jaime. You're going to see him right?" I nodded. I did have to drop by so he knew I was okay. "Could you take Alex back for me, if it isn't too much trouble?"

"Of course." I smiled, taking Alex from him.

"Well," he said gruffly. "Thanks. I have to go see Sam. We should pull out soon."

I watched as he walked away. "Oh, and Jacob," I called. He turned raising an eyebrow. "Thanks," I told him. "Not just for this, for everything. You were a great father to me while it lasted."

He nodded, some emotion in his eyes I couldn't place, before walking away again, into the midst of his pack.

**OOO**

**WHOOPYAH!**

…**. I don't even know what that means. But hey, remember—**_**if**_** you tell me you want a sequel, TELL ME WHAT IT SHOULD BE ABOUT. Cuz, as of the moment, I don't have any ideas. This story will probably be over in about five chapters, but that's justa guestimate. **

**BTW I have another spoiler on my site. You can check it out.**

**Jamie**


	16. Drive

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 16: Drive_

**Drive—Incubus**

**IMPORTANT AGAIN: Hey guys, since when this story is done I'll be doing outtakes and I would like you to tell me what you want to see. Who's POV you would like them to be in and what scenes. I may do a story of Matt's views of Sunrise, but that will take a while for me to get started with. So please, think about it, and tell me what you want. : )**

**OOO**

"Your neck," Mads sputtered out as I walked over to her. She pointed largely. "That wasn't there before, Cara."

"Oh, that?" I asked, shifting Alex so he blocked it. "It's nothing. Chill. It's just a scratch."

She looked at me for a long time. "Vampires don't get scratches."

"Maddie," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Drop it. I promise it's not a big deal. It isn't going to murder me or anything."

"Was the guy that gave it to you going to?" she asked. I scowled. _Damn her_.

I thought for a moment about that fight. Now I only remembered it as images and pictures strung together to form a memory. But there was one part I remembered very clearly. The pale knife cutting through my skin. The torturous pain. Okay, so it wasn't just a scratch, and it was basically a scar, but other than that…

"I'll be fine," I told her. "But, I have to go all the way to New Hampshire, drop this Hamster off," I smiled, "and then chill with Jaime for a few days because he'll probably put me on house arrest, and then I have to go home. You know… see people…"

_See Matt._

She read the double meaning in my words, but switched the subject. "So… Kayla became one of us, huh?" she asked after a moment.

"I guess so. You knew her?" Alex was still snoring on my shoulder. I tried to block it out.

Maddie nodded. "If Rob knew her, I knew her. Pity she went psycho… I always knew there was something up with her."

"Yeah."

"You think she's a threat?" Maddie looked past me at the bonfire. I shrugged, which was difficult because of my rock of a brother.

"You know/knew her better than I do/did." The sentence was confusing, and Maddie shook her head. "I don't know if she's going to come back all bitch-like, but you'd think she'd be happy, you know, no more restraints?"

"What if she goes after humans?" Maddie sighed.

I had worried about that myself. "The Volturi," I said, "at least if they ever find out, are going to be all over it. You could go after her and ask if she wants to be part of your coven?"

She blinked. "You're kidding, right?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm not. She needs someplace to go or she's going to kill people. Jack, I could care less about. He wasn't even humane when he was human. He'll probably run into a burning building before we have to worry about him." I shifted Alex again, and Maddie eyed my scar disapprovingly. "But you know Kayla."

"_Kayla_ just tried to rip my head off not twenty minutes ago, Cara!" Maddie reminded me. "Let her and Jack get it on. I'd die if I went after her."

"Madison," I tried to appear forceful. "Come on—you and I both know she can change. Please give it a try. If she attacks you, you can run and get the hell away. Please, Maddie?"

She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fine! I'll go talk to her. But if they're at it and I walk in…" She glared at me for a short moment. "I'll kill you."

I blinked. Why did she keep bringing that up? "You're paranoid."

"Damn straight I am." She took a deep breath before unleashing the glare again. "Remember: kill."

"Right," I agreed. "But only after I've returned Alex, seen Jaime, my family, and got back on my life with the love of my… existence."

Her eyes took on a knowing look. "Fair enough." She held out her hand and I shook it, and then we hugged. It was kind of awkward—Alex between us and all—but we managed, and then she said: "Take care, Cara. No more getting captured."

"Most definitely not." I grinned. "I'll see you later."

I was walking away—Spiderman duty finished—when Jared called out and yelled, "Bye Cara! Give Jaime my deepest and most sincere regards. And my sister, too!"

I just waved, hearing a "Shut up, son!" in the background.

_Well, crap,_ I thought as I faced the forest. This was going to be a long walk.

**OOO**

Town wasn't hard to reach. I immediately went into the nearest super center and bought a turtle neck top and jeans. Then I bought Alex a change of clothes too. We changed in one of the bathrooms—Well, the women's. Alex was difficult because of his arm (thank god it was healing right) and he was drowsy _and_ he had a strict privacy violation code. So I changed first and stood outside the stall as he peed and got into his new clothes.

"Did you kill that freak?" he asked, rubbing one eye. I smiled down at him as we walked out of the store.

"Heck yes," I told him, mussing his hair.

When we arrived at the train station, I waited in line with Alex on my hip. It must have been eight o' clock _PM_, because he was asleep… again. When I approach the ticket counter, I was deep in thought. I glanced up as the guy—"Steve" read his nametag—repeated "Ma'am?" for the fifth time. "Sorry," I said, trying to make it look like Alex was drawing away all my attention. "Kids. Can't live with them, can't live without them." I shrugged.

He smiled. Canadian people were so friendly. "Can I help you?" he asked. I nodded, pulling out the credit card from my duffle.

"I need the next one-way ticket to any train that can get me to Winnipeg in Manitoba. Scratch that, I need two. One child, one adult." I looked up at the Departures list and found what I knew would be there: **Winnipeg—8:45 pm.** Knowing things was extremely helpful. I slid my card through the hole in the glass and waited as he rung up my ticket.

He passed me back the credit card and the piece of paper that held my future. "Here you go, Ma'am. Your train leaves at eight forty-five and there will be several stops along the way. Thank you."

"Thank you," I mussed, walking over to one of the idiotic looking benches and sitting Alex next to me. He stirred as I placed my credit card back in my wallet and tucked it into the duffle.

He blinked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Where are we?"

"At a train station in… apparently Vancouver. We're taking the next train to Winnipeg and then we're flying to Hanover." He nodded, content, and I looked around. This was a train station I remembered. It often had brought me to new families, ones I wanted to forget.

I rubbed my eyes and sat back. It seemed like years ago that I had escaped, but it'd only been less than a day. Less than a day I'd hit the wall of the cell, unable to feel my legs. Less than a day I'd rescued Alex and Maddie, less than a day I'd confronted at least twenty newborns. Less than a day when I'd never been happier to see my werewolf family. Less than a day I'd faced my fate, my destiny. Less than a day I'd torn Lucas apart and watched him die, slowly and painfully. Less than a day all in all.

Across several rows, I noticed a tall figure with a tweed hat, facing away from me. He looked familiar, but I was too tired to figure out who he was. Tired because I'd changed back to my human form, afraid that if I was hungry enough, I'd cause a scene. But I kept staring at the figure, thinking I should know that hair color… it was such a strange hair color—one not noticed on many people—

"Cara!"

I looked back at Alex, who was wide awake and waving a hand in front of my eyes. "The train is boarding," he said once he had my attention. "You don't want to miss it, do you?"

"No, I don't." I grabbed his hand and lead him to the doors, the steam racing over our feet. I handed the boarder our ticket and grabbed a seat in the back. I didn't feel like chit-chatting with an old couple at the moment. I really did _not_.

The man with the tweed hat sat a couple rows ahead, and I glared at the back of his head. There was something familiar about the way he moved, how he didn't talk to anybody… _Oh well_, I thought, frustrated. _I'll uncover him later_.

The days passed, and were long. There were many stops on the way to Winnipeg, as Steve had said. But other than that, the ride was fine. I would sing to Alex when he'd sleep—he had a particular favorite he said Maddie had sung to him in the cell. "It's kinda depressing," he told me, all smiles, "but it's really pretty."

I could know the tune easily.

So I sang, softly, so no one could hear:

_Green finch, and linnet bird,  
Nightingale, blackbird,  
How is it you sing?  
How can you jubilate  
sitting in cages  
never taking wing?  
Outside the sky waits  
beckoning!  
Beckoning!  
Just beyond the bars...  
How can you remain  
staring at the rain  
maddened by the stars?  
How is it you sing  
anything?  
How is it you sing?  
Green finch. and linnet bird,  
nightingale, blackbird  
How is it you sing?  
Whence comes this melody  
constantly floating?  
Is it rejoicing or merely alarming?  
Are you discussing?  
Or fussing?  
Or simply dreaming?  
Are you crowing?  
Are you screaming?  
Ringdove and robinet  
is it for wages?  
Singing to be sold?  
Have you decided it's safer in cages  
singing when you're told?  
My cage has many rooms  
damask and dark...  
Nothing there sings,  
not even my lark.  
Larks never will, you know,  
when they're captive.  
Teach me to be more  
adaptive.  
Green Finch, and Linnet Bird,  
nightingale, blackbird,  
teach me how to sing.  
If I cannot fly...  
Let me sing._

I watched Tweedy (the dude with the tweed hat) the whole ride. He was still as a statue, never getting up to use the bathroom or talk to other passengers. Not that I did, either, but that was what worried me.

"Green finch, and linnet bird…" I mussed as Alex fell asleep again. I'd repeated the words over and over again in my head. Maddie was trying to tell me something. I groaned at rubbed my temples. I was so sick of riddles it wasn't even funny anymore—it never had been.

_Well you can tell Matt never to use riddles when you see him again,_ I told myself.

If _you see him again_, a voice rang unforgiving. _Think of what you did, Cara. Think of how you left, raced to Alabama, got captured, and, _God_, you even killed his brother. Did you even feel anything afterwards?_

_He tortured me,_ I reasoned with myself, not at all weirded out by the fact that I was having a conversation with my very screwed up mind. It had happened a lot when I was hanging from a ceiling. _I had a reason to kill him. If I hadn't, this could've ended very badly._

_But did you feel any remorse? Any sorrow?_ I asked myself again. _Maybe you're heartless, just like him_.

I shut off my brain, blasting my iPod in my ears. _Breathe,_ I commanded myself. My conscious was wrong for once.

When we finally reached Winnipeg, after several days, I grabbed my duffle and Alex's hand. We'd take the nearest flight to Hanover, New Hampshire, and then I'd get a rental car and head to Jaime's place. Easy.

As I was walking to the airport—rather close, actually—I had to pick up Alex again, and since it was morning and rather bright, I was human. He was heavy! Man, I must've lost mostly all of my muscle mass in seven months. I gasped shortly as I piggy-backed him to the airport and booked a flight, and then we were in the terminal. I fished my cell phone form the duffle and dialed Jaime's number from memory.

"Sup?" He'd picked up on the second ring. Impressive.

"Jaime?" I asked, glancing at the sleeping Alex. "It's Cara."

He was silent for a long time, but then the torrent of words rushed forth, angry, concerned, shocked… well, _this_ might take a while.

"What?! Are you okay? My dad called and told me what went down, and man, Cara, am I sorry! If I'd known what letting you go with that leech meant then I'd never have let you disappear with him! I woulda told your family! I woulda tracked you down myself…"

I sat there, dialing down the volume. A few people were already glancing at me—I was surprised Alex hadn't woken yet. I let him prattle on for a while, rolling my eyes at his over-protectiveness. _Yeah right_ it was his fault. Like he'd _forced_ me to go to Alabama? Psh.

When he seemed to be getting out of breath, I began. "Yes, Jaime, before you ask I'm still here. And no, it's not your fault. I left the sanctuary of the Volturi, and I went to Alabama, about the least protected place on the planet, might I add, with no capability of my family getting to me. Wow, I sure am an idiot."

"You never answered my question: Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I answered automatically, then mentally cussed myself out. Jaime was impossible to lie to. "Well, I've lost most of my muscle mass and self-confidence, but other than that, I'm good. Not anything that can't be fixed."

"That's… good, I guess." I could picture his face, all rolled eyes and grimace. "What's up besides your liberation? You coming to visit?"

I pursed my lips, glancing at Alex again. "Yes…" I began hesitantly.

"Yes… what?" The skepticism was clear in his voice. I pondered how to break it to him, that I had his brother with a broken arm and who happened to be scarred for life.

"You know how Alex went missing… oh, roughly five or six months ago?" I asked, wincing. _Way to go, Cara_.

"Yes." His voice was heavy.

"Well, I saved him. He was in the same place I was—you're daddy didn't tell you that?" I sighed, "So, I got him out and I'm bringing him to you. But, I'm in Winnipeg, Canada at the moment, and I'm catching a flight to Hanover, so I was wondering… oh, if you could pick me up?"

_Oh, that was just damn smooth_.

It took him a moment to process what I'd said, what I meant. "What?" he asked, his voice faint. "You've got him? Oh, thank god, Cara! I thought he was dead. I mean, after I slipped up and accidentally told Freesia what happened, he kinda…well—"

"Freaked?" I supplied.

"That's the one."

"Be more careful, you idiot. I'm giving you the full guilt trip when I get to your house. Man, you don't even _know_." I didn't elaborate. I didn't want to go into the many ways I remembered _Torture de Cara_.

"I know you know. I mean, you knew what it was like to learn that your family wasn't real, or, hey! In your case they were vampires, who gave birth to a randomly sparkling child."

I frowned. "Not helping, bro."

"When does your flight get in?" He asked the question so casually. It was as if he was asking me if I wanted jelly on my bread or something.

"Two-ish," I told him. "And knowing you and your driving skills: Mr. I Never Go Over The Speed Limit, you should leave… now."

"Ha-ha. At least you retained your sense of humor."

"Aren't you glad?"

"Ecstatic."

"Two," I repeated. He echoed me and hung up. _Well, that went well… I guess_. I glanced at Alex. Oh, was Jaime gonna get it.

Movement raced at the corner of my eye. Tweedy was walking into the men's room. I glared after him, not really sure who he was or why he was here, but I _did_ know he wasn't a threat, and that was good enough for me.

The flight was relatively short. Alex began to watch Shrek—one, two, or three? I wasn't sure. I was positive that we were in first class, complements of Rita Fowler. I'd have to thank her someday, which meant thanking Alice. _Oh, Rita? She's old news!_ I imagined the pixie telling me, grabbing my hand and catapulting me into Victoria's Secret.

Jaime was actually there on time—which, no doubt, surprised me. He was at the baggage claim, and as soon as he saw Alex, he ran and hugged him, launching into a full out fatherly lecture (that only Jaime could pull off) about how Alex should never runaway again, gave him a heart-attack, thought he was dead… blah, blah-blah, blah…

At about the time Alex was being smushed like a football in Jaime's arms, I cleared my throat. Might as well save the poor kid for a third time. Jaime then launched into an apology, for Christ's sakes, and I had to hold up my hand to get him to lower the volume.

"God!" I exclaimed. "Will you _shut up_?" I cuffed him on the shoulder and the next thing I knew he was hugging me, and I was trying—unsuccessfully—to push the goddamn puppy off me. People were giving us _aw-look-at-the-couple_ looks. Not what I had in mind when reuniting with my brother.

"Can't breathe," I said desperately. "Still human here."

Arm's length now. "What?"

"Power. Coolness, actually. Came in use for something." I picked up my bag and he tried to take it from me. I danced out of his way, nearly knocking into a couple college kids. "Jaime! Chill! I can carry my own crap. I'm not made of frikken glass."

He was taller than me, so he didn't have a hard time reaching down and tousling my hair. "Wow, it got longer," he observed. "I thought you said you didn't like your hair long."

"I don't."

It was silent then, and I pulled the ridiculously long hair into a bun. When I got a hold of knives, it was coming off. We walked to Jaime's car—wow, the dork actually had a _car_, not to mention it was nice—and I sat in the front with my brother. Alex was snoozing again within minutes, and as I glanced behind me, I sighed, loudly enough to make Jaime nearly crash into a car pulling out. I didn't flinch, but he was wired.

I didn't look at him. "No one's gonna jump out and crash the car to smithereens, Jaime. You can relax." Even as I said it, I winced. That was exactly what had gotten me into jail in the first place.

He checked the rearview mirror and muttered something like profanities under his breath. "I know. I'm just kinda freaked. My sister, who's been in some random colonial prison for more than half a year, and my brother, who's been there with her, just came from somewhere in Canada. I don't know what went down or how you got out. So, enlighten me."

"Okay, listen closely, because I'm only gonna say this once." I launched into nearly everything, and ended with, "So he burned and went to hell. Happy?"

"Um… sure."

"How long do we have until we're at your house?" I asked, not dwelling on the previous subject. I didn't intend on staying long, just long enough to slap some sense into my idiot of a brother (oh, don't worry—I loved him anyways) and make sure they were all safe.

"About thirty minutes. I live roughly off campus. Helps when I'm on break."

"Break?"

"Christmas Break." He didn't glance at me, kept his eyes on the road. I hesitantly glanced out the window. Once, twice. And, _holy crap_.

It had just dawned on me that it was snowing. Flurries of bits of white, the sky an overcast grey blanket. "You said it's December, then?" I asked, my voice wavering.

"That would be the meaning of Christmas Break, Cara." He made a left turn. "Did you lose any brain cells? Oops," he added at my set jaw. "Didn't mean it like that. Just in general—I swear."

I ignored the whole statement, launching into another question. "What's today's date?"

"The fourteenth."

"Shit."

"Why shit?" He made a turn onto the interstate. I leaned over in my seat and covered my face with my hands.

"Ten days," I choked out. Ten. Frikken. Days.

"Until what—Oh. Cara, I'm sure you'll find them before that. I mean, it's not like they've disappeared into thin air or something."

"Might as well have," I moaned. I didn't care that I knew things. Ten days. They could be across the continent, and I was sure my card was about to be denied at some point. I ran my hands over my face and sat up, letting out a gust of air.

I glanced at Alex again—still asleep. "You are still in so much trouble. I can_not_ believe you would even mention that in the same house as him, you dork." Jaime understood I was mad. He knew.

"Please don't rub it in, alright?" he said anyway. "I learned my lesson."

"It's not about learning lessons!" I whispered furiously, too enraged to look at him. "It's about knowing the damage you caused, Jaime! You didn't just let a kid know he was inherited, end of story. You created a whole new world for him—not necessarily a fantastic one—that keeps him up at night with questions. You only know slightly of the layers of his mind that you touched, on contact, not all the ones you affected. I grew up on that knowledge, alright? As far as you know, you've had it easy."

He didn't say anything. "I don't know how to tell him I'm sorry. I don't know how to tell him that I didn't even find out about everything until after I'd spent most of my time with him. I don't know how to tell him that he's just as much as my brother as he's always been. Nothing's changed."

I glanced in the side mirror and saw Alex's eye slowly open, and his eyes were red and teary. He quickly blinked rapidly, locked eyes with me, and I winked. He immediately faked sleeping again. Smart kid.

"I think he knows," I said mildly, and turned up the radio.

**OOO**

**HAPPY CHAPTER! HUGS!**

**Oh, and the song was from Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It was more funny than scary, really. I swear.**

**Ohhhhh, btw, Cara wasn't mad at Jaime at all in this Chapter except for when she told him what it was like to be adopted and stuff. Cara was just being Cara.**

**Jamie**


	17. Time Is Running Out

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 17: Time Is Running Out_

**So, about Tweedy. Hope you guys like him (you guys KNOW who he is. THIIIINK, haha) because we will be seeing SOOOOOO much more from dear Tweedy.**

**OOO**

When I walked in the house of Jaime Black, the stereo was booming. I covered my ears as did Alex. "JAIME!" I screamed over the music. I couldn't even tell the words out, it was so loud. "STOP THE BASE!"

"Oh, it's just the guys," he said, cutting the power to who knows where. I glared at him as he turned to face me. There was still a ringing in my ears.

"I think I've had enough torture for a year, thanks," I said vehemently. I took a look around, and the place was abnormally huge. "How many of your pack live here?" I asked. There had to be some reason why the house had around fifty rooms or so.

"Not many. There's just the three of us and Alex." He walked into the kitchen, and I followed him, taking in the condition of the house—not clean. "The rest of the band comes over practically every day."

"Who? You, Freesia, and…?"

"Danny-Boy."

"Oh." Alex jumped up on a stool—he was already at home. I looked at the dirty dishes in the sink, the socks on the floor, and the jackets strung about. "How often do you _clean_ this place?" I was afraid of the answer.

"Oh, you know, not often."

"Duh."

"I don't think we've cleaned it since we moved in." He glanced at me sheepishly, and I rolled my eyes. "But we've got glade keeping it nice and fresh."

"And Freesia doesn't kick your ass about it?"

"Nah. She keeps threatening us, but she hasn't actually done anything. She also said she was hiring a maid, but at Dan's comment, she decided against it."

"Do I want to know?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Probably not." He told me anyways, and I grimaced.

"He said what?"

"And I quote: 'Well, that would be some nice hired help. Make sure she's a girl, Free. I can't really please a guy.'"

"Ew."

"_Ew_'s right!" came Freesia's voice from down the hall. She walked in and dropped the paper plate she was holding. "CARA!" she screamed, running forward to hug me. "Oh, my _God_! What are you doing here?!"

"Bringing you your future brother back," I told her, awkwardly hugging her back. Freesia took a step back and glanced at Alex, who was hiding behind me.

"Oh, thank God!" she sighed, enveloping him in a hug. The poor kid squirmed to get out of it, sending me a helpless look. "Kid, you can't go running off like that! I mean, honestly! What happened to you?" She glanced at his limp arm and her eyes widened. "_What happened_?" she repeated to me.

Jaime jumped in. "Prison, evil vampire guy, Cara saved the day, the end." I stared at him in a mixture of anger and disbelief. "What?" he asked. "I can't shorten it a bit? You said you were only going to say it once."

"How'd Alex break his arm?" she asked me, ignoring her boyfriend.

"Lucas broke it more than once," I answered, glancing at the kid's arm. It should've taken six weeks to heal, but it was still broken. "Don't worry, he'll be fine. It should be almost healed."

**OOO**

Dinner that night was delicious.

The meal was fantastic—despite my vampire nature—probably because I hadn't had real food in nearly a year. When I'd finally stopped shoving food in my mouth, and was able to talk, the subject was fashion, and something hit me.

"Crap!"

Jaime looked at me with something like concern, and Freesia and Daniel stopped talking about the band and what they should wear to the next gig. I covered my mouth with my hand and muffled a scream of shock. Jaime exchanged a glance with Freesia, and Dan just looked out of the loop.

"I am such an idiot." I smacked my forehead.

Dan looked excited. "Ooh! Why?"

"Tweedy!" I said. "I know who he was. Crap, this is _not good_."

"Cara? What the—?"

I sat back in my chair. "Why wouldn't he say anything?" I asked out loud. "Ugh!"

"_What the hell are you talking about?_" Jaime asked through clenched teeth. I glanced at him dismissively. Couldn't he tell I was in a crisis?

"The guy in the tweed hat on the train," I told him without emotion, "was my father."

Well, I could honestly tell my father he needed a different hat. And sunglasses. It was obvious Alice hadn't helped him with this one.

"Oh, well that sucks."

"Why?" I snapped my gaze to my brother.

"Well, because last time I talked to you about it, you kinda freaked out about them following you everywhere. They even said that themselves." He looked at his plate guiltily.

I frowned at my clasped hands. "Not anymore," I said. "Actually, I'm kinda relieved that someone else was with me on that train, but honestly! If he had just _told_ me it was him then maybe I could have brushed things up!" I groaned, running a hand through my hair.

"You'll have your chance," Jaime said dismissively, shoveling more food into his mouth. I shook my head, pushing my plate away. I wasn't hungry anymore.

**OOO**

That night we decided where I would sleep.

"Basement's probably best," Jaime said to me, taking my duffle and heading for the stairs. I grabbed his shoulder before he took two steps. "There isn't like, flodding and water down there. It's nice."

"No." My glare hardened my face. "I have to have a window."

His brows furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

I glared harder. "I'm claustrophobic," I lied.

I could tell he didn't buy it, but he didn't say anything. "Right." He turned around, heading for the stairs that lead _up_ instead of down. "Okay, well, you can bunk in the room next to Freesia, with the cat."

"What?"

"Freesia has a room for her cat, with a bed and everything. Don't ask."

"Wasn't planning on it."

The room did have a cat. It was big, gray, fluffy, and so ugly that it was cute. But I instantly fell in love with it. "That's Mr. Momo," Jaime said, rolling his eyes. "And Mr. Momo's a girl, by the way."

"Excuse me?"

"Ask my girlfriend."

He left then, and I pulled the cat close. It mowed, but I ignored it. _Why didn't you tell me it was you, Dad?_ I let the cat go and picked up a pillow. I screamed into it, and the sound was muffled. GR!

As I lifted my head, something dark flitted past my window. I froze, my entire body tensing and my eyes pierced the dark trees outside. Nothing.

"You're being paranoid," I told myself out loud. It made it seem better. "It's nothing. It's nothing. Paranoia. Nothing. You're fine."

I remember thinking: Maybe the basement would have been better.

**OOO**

It was late, the windows let moonlight through. I woke in a sweat ripping myself from the covers and gasping. Mr. Momo had been resting on my chest, and she mowed disgustedly and leapt from the bed. My neck burned and I placed my hand to it. _You're fine,_ I told myself. _Everything's fine_.

Something flickered in the corner of my vision again, and I stopped moving, stopped breathing. My hand, still pressed to my neck, balled into a fist. My eyes raised slowly upwards, and they widened farther than I thought possible.

Lucas was standing above my head with a knife.

I screamed. Loud.

Then he was gone.

What the hell? My eyes raced around the room wildly, every fiber of my being tensing. I placed my back against the wall, and I realized it was hurting my chest, my muscles constricting in fear. I still wasn't breathing, and I dragged in a huge gulp of air.

_No, no, no, no, no!_

I looked at the door. Wouldn't Jaime—somebody—have heard me? I instantly screamed again. _He_ was there. At the door. No knife this time. Just the casual pose he'd used so many times as he watched me tremble in my cell.

"JAIME!" I screamed, my eyes burning. Cara-who-didn't-ask-for-help was long gone. I gripped at the sheets, my throat constricting. I scrambled back from the edge of the bed, my breathing ragged, my stomach tight with terror.

The door burst open, and the Lucas vanished like smoke. I began crying as Jaime rushed over to me, shaking my shoulders. "Cara!" he said firmly, but there were these strange, ripping sounds coming out of my mouth and I sobbed against my brother's shoulder. "Cara, what happened?"

"Oh, my god," I moaned. "Oh, my god."

"What happened?" Jaime repeated. I glanced up at him, my eyes blurry form tears.

I shook my head, my voice breaking. "He was here, Jaime. Lucas was here."

"Wh—what the hell?" He got up and I grabbed his arm, my nails digging into his skin.

"No, no, no!" I begged. "Don't leave me."

"I'm not," he said slowly, peeling my hand from his arm. "I'm checking the room."

I knew it was stupid. It was probably a nightmare, after all. But I remembered when I'd slept over at Rob and Maddie's house and I'd had nightmares. He'd checked the room for monsters, and I'd felt safer.

"Jaime, did I wake anybody else?" I asked sheepishly, once my breathing had calmed. He glanced back at me, a smile in place.

"Well, obviously Mr. Momo. But you screamed pretty loud—Freesia and Dan are really heavy sleepers, though. Takes a natural disaster to wake them up. Don't worry, Freesia was still snoring when I woke up."

"Good," I breathed. "Good."

"Nothing here," Jaime announced after a range of ten minutes. "I don't smell anything either, so I think we're fine." He sat down and looked me in the eye. "You sure you're okay? I can camp out on the floor tonight if you want."

Man, was I lucky to have a bro like Jaime. "No, no," I lied. "It's okay. I'm fine. You go back to sleep."

"Cara," he said sternly. "It's a lot to get over, I understand that. You're probably in some form of shock, because you were awake when I walked in. Meaning: You weren't having a nightmare. You were hallucinating."

"Bull," I replied automatically.

"What? You want to tell me he was actually here? No offense, Cara, but you killed the freak yourself. You'd know he's dead."

I averted my eyes. "I _do_ know that," I told him. I rubbed my eyes, taking deep, calming breaths. "Look, you're right. It'll go away and when that happens, I'll be fine. I just need some rest."

"Good idea." He turned to get up, patting me on the shoulder. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

"No, I'm fine—I swear."

"Okay." He didn't sound convinced. "Night."

"Night."

**OOO**

When I woke and opened the door to my room, Jaime tumbled at my feet. I stared at him as Mr. Momo escaped and darted past me. Jaime started, jumping up and looking around. There were bags under his eyes, and his clothes were wrinkled. "Oh," he said groggily when he noticed me. "Morning."

I blinked. It was becoming a habit for me. "Uh… I thought I told you everything was fine."

"You're a horrible liar," he replied easily.

I glared. "Am not. You're just good at seeing bullshit when it comes your way. How else would I have gotten past Maddie?"

"Come on," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"Breakfast, dork. Come on." He grabbed his stuff and placed it under his arm, walking back to his room and chucking the crap in. Then he leapt down the stairs and disappeared from sight. I followed him, but I wasn't hungry. I'd had another nightmare after my hallucination, this one about Matt.

"_You think that everything's going to be fantastic now, Cara? After everything that's happened in the past year? Really—where is your head? What makes you think I'll want you back? How do I even know you love me?"_

_I was sobbing hopelessly. "I'm sorry, Matt. I love you."_

_He was shaking his head, the world fading into another dream._

"Yo, Cara!" Jaime called. "You seeing things again? Come on—it's waffles."

I shuddered at the dream and jogged down the stairs, dodging a couple shoes and a big stuffed bear. As I entered the kitchen, all I saw was chaos, but apparently that was Jaime's typical morning.

Dan was working the waffle maker, batter all over his clothes and in his hair. Freesia grabbed some syrup and butter from the fridge, slamming the door closed with her slipper-clad foot. Jaime was clearing the breakfast table by shoving everything into a huge trash bag and dumping the thing on the floor and Alex was pouring milk into five tall glasses; the jug was the size of his face.

"Morning, Cara," Freesia called. "Did you sleep well?"

"Definitely," I lied, and Jaime gave me his BS look.

"I hope Momo didn't bother you," she added, giving the cat a stern look as it jumped onto the counter. "She tends to sleep on people."

"Why _Mr. _Momo?" I asked, sitting down.

The feminine werewolf set a heaping plate of M'n'M waffles in front of me. "I've had the thing since I was nine. I thought it was a boy when I got her, so, hence Mr. Momo." Alex handed me my milk and Freesia added, "Eat up. Last night you looked like you were half-starved."

"I was," I mumbled, gently picking up my fork.

Dan glanced up from his Waffle Mountain five minutes later. "Guys, I know it's crazy, but something weird was up last night. I just had this feeling, you know? Like we're being watched."

"Yeah," said Freesia slowly. "Me too."

My fork clattered to the ground as Jaime and I exchanged glances. _No way,_ his eyes were saying. _Not possible._ I wasn't so sure. Maybe it wasn't Lucas, but there was something up. I was gonna find out what.

I pushed my empty plate away from me ten minutes later. "Thanks guys. That was great, but I'm gonna take a walk. I'll be back in a few."

I pulled on Freesia's boots and a jacket of mine, jogging out to the forest behind the house. I glanced into the trees, my breathing stopping. There was nothing sinister about it, nothing scary. But I knew that the forest had something to do with what the pack was nervous about. I couldn't quite place what it was—I had no clue to what I was looking for.

I began to run—it made me feel better. I hadn't been able to do so in so long, and the trees rushed past me in a blur. Or, at least a blur to a human. I didn't want to be a vampire right now. Knowing me, I could accidentally kill Alex, forgetting who he was. I wanted supervision when I went hunting next. Just in case.

I didn't know the area well—I didn't really bother to. I leapt over a fallen tree, but my ankle twisted on impact with the ground. I cried out as I fell, and tumbled to the dirty trail. I pushed myself up—only a couple bruises and a strained ankle, no biggie. But as I glanced around me, trying to decipher where I was, I caught a glimpse of the trees waving with some… invisible wind.

I screwed my eyes shut, bringing my hands to my head and tucking my face behind my knees. _Calm down,_ I told myself. _Probably just an animal. No more hallucinations, you got your sleep, you're fine._

I opened my eyes and slowly lifted my head. When I peered past my knees, I saw the knife. Right in front of me.

I yelped, going to swat it away, and it vanished. Shaking, I got to my feet, ignoring the pain in my ankle, and backed away from where the knife had been. I turned and ran, faster than I ever had before as a human. I ran back to the edge of the woods.

When I was free from the place, it felt like my heart was no longer constricting in terror. I stumbled through the door of the house and saw Jaime pulling on his jacket. We just stared at each other for a long time, and I knew he knew—just like that.

"I was just coming to look for you," he said slowly, beginning to take the jacket back off and hang it up. "You were out there a while."

"What time is it?" I asked quickly, glancing behind him at the grandfather clock. Twelve thirty. I'd left three hours ago. Had I knocked myself out when I'd fallen?

He didn't say anything, but took my arm and steered me to the bathroom. "Take a look at yourself," he demanded, and I flicked on the light and stared into the mirror.

The girl staring back at me didn't look like Cara Cullen. Her hair was long, frizzy, and matted. Her skin was a sickly pale, not the gorgeous kind. Her arms and waist were skinny, and her cheek bones more prominent then normal. Her green eyes had that deep, haunted look about them, the pupils wide and scared. The flaming red scar on her collarbone slashed up to her neck, and I screwed my eyes shut at the sight.

"What the hell happened to the fearless girl I knew?" Jaime asked quietly. "Cara, I know what was done to you scared the living _shit_ out of you, but you can't let him control your life. He's gone and he's not coming back. It's over. You ended it. Take comfort in that fact and relax for a change. Freesia and Dan and I are here. Do you really think we'd let anything happen to you? We'd smell a bad lee—vampire," he corrected himself, "a mile away. You're safe. We got your back."

"Thanks," I choked out, still not opening my eyes. "I feel like I'm in some overrated horror movie sequel where the bad guy comes back from the dead."

"Well, that's not what it is." He patted my back, and walked out, and I opened my eyes and saw what I used to be, with Matt in the mirror behind me. He didn't move, he didn't say anything. He wasn't even looking at me. He was looking at the me in the mirror, and they were both smiling. His hand was on her shoulder and I almost felt it—almost. It was picture perfect, no one moved or made a sound.

So I glanced behind me, even though I knew how absurd I was being. He wasn't there, I told myself—I _knew_ that. He was trapped in my mind or in the mirror, smiling at the old me from a year ago. Short hair, gold eyes, healthy beauty.

So when he wasn't where I wanted him to be, it was no huge surprise.

And when I glanced at the mirror, the picture was gone, and I was staring at the long-haired, pitiful girl again. But this time, her haunted green eyes changed. There was a fire in them, and I knew why.

**OOO**

"Freesia? I need a haircut."

She glanced up from her magazine, pulling her reading glasses past the brim of her nose and giving me a once over. "That you do," she agreed, placing the magazine on the coffee table. She hadn't mentioned anything about whether Jaime had told her what had happened to me or not. I don't think she wanted me to feel like everyone was taking pity on me. I was thankful for that.

She took me to the kitchen and brought out a pair of scissors, and before I'd even registered the fact that the weapons were black, I felt the familiar tug at the back of my scalp as she began to chop it off.

"You remember what I looked like... uh…"

"Before?" she supplied. "Of course. Don't worry; it'll look just the same. I promise."

And it did. When she was done, my face looked almost a thousand times healthier. The light was back in my eyes. "Thank you," I said mutely. She grinned at my reaction and washed off the scissors. "How did you do it so well?"

"I have a part-time job at the salon fifteen minutes from here." She glanced back at me, gave me a strange look, and added, "I thought that's why you asked me to do this."

"Well, no. I couldn't ask Dan or Jaime. Awkward _and_ fruity as hell."

"Ah, I see. Well, I'm glad you asked me," she continued, placing the scissors in a drawer and walking over to me. "Seeing my boyfriend try and cut someone's hair would be a horrible sight. He'd probably chop your head off on accident."

I laughed, feeling my hair again. "But he's more than that," I blurted suddenly.

"Who's more than what?"

"Jaime's more than just your boyfriend, right? He's like your soul mate. What is it you guys call it?" I turned to her, placing my hands on the counter behind me.

"Imprinting," she told me ruefully. "I'm not sure if a wolf can imprint on another, but apparently it can work. Not that I had a choice. It's weird—the feeling I mean. It's like you lose sight for everyone else and can only focus on that one person. It's like they hold all the meaning in the world to you. It's like… like they have some glowing golden light behind them and a halo above their head." She laughed, shaking her head.

"It's like love," I told her, and she nodded.

"You've ever felt something like that before?"

"Oh, yeah." I crossed my arms and leaned my head back, taking a deep breath. "And I was stupid enough to mess it up."

**OOO**

**Again, guys. IMPORTANT:::: if you guys want outtakes, give me some POVs and some scenarios you'd like to see. And don't tell me you don't know, because I know you've thought about something you'd like to see in this story. I only have one rule: no lemons, smut, etc. I don't do that, and I don't intend to. Fluff is fine, anything beyond a bit of play is bad. No go.**

**Mr. Momo is the name of my friend's very female cat. I couldn't resist.**

**Nothing else to say. **

**Lot's o love, Jamie**


	18. Scars

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 18: Scars_

**Scars—Papa Roach**

**AGAIN! If you want to see some scene from this story or Moonrise in someone else's POV, take Matt's POV during the time that Cara left, or Alice when she realized that she couldn't see Cara. Something like that. TELL ME. Thanks.**

**OOO**

"You can sing?" Jaime asked as the song ended. I broke from my trance of gazing out the window, nodding.

"Yeah. One of my families was a pair of chorus teachers. Crazy life, eh?"

"Yup."

There was an awkward silence then as we drove. Another song came on the radio, and I quickly shut it off. Love songs weren't exactly doing it for me right now. Jaime glanced in my direction—not exactly discreetly—as he switched lanes, and I sunk lower in my seat.

A silver Volvo whipped past us, suddenly, and I shot up from my seat, eyes wide. "Man that freak is driving like a maniac!" Jaime exclaimed at the same time I shouted: "Holy shit!" I was glad Alex wasn't in the car.

"What?" Jaime asked me, squinting at the Volvo that was far ahead of us by now.

"Th-that's my father's car," I spluttered. "And he just drove by? What the—,"

It got really quiet, my impending rage and Jaime's complete disbelief adding to the tension. "Oh, my god," I said, my voice more even then I could think. "I cannot believe what just happened."

"That was… weird, alright."

Five minutes later we pulled into the driveway, and I jumped from the huge SUV and stomped into the house, forgetting about all the groceries we'd bought. Freesia glanced up from another magazine, and opened her mouth to say something. I cut her off with a frustrated yell.

"Uh… okay. May I ask?"

"No," I told her, walking past her and up the stairs. I startled Mr. Momo as I fell back onto her bed and stared relentlessly at the ceiling. I got it, now. I totally got it.

My family was the ones watching my minipack.

Of course.

There was a meow to the side of my face, and then Mr. Momo was staring at me, pawing my stomach. Then she laid down on it and curled up, and I petted her absently. "I have to go home soon, you know. People are probably starting to get worried."

There was a commotion downstairs, and I catapulted down the steps. It sounded good—I couldn't miss it. What I saw was Alex slamming into Jaime, knocking him to the ground. Man, that kid was _strong_, even if Jaime was letting him.

I laughed, and clapped my hand over my mouth almost immediately. I hadn't laughed in a while—smiled? Sure. Laughed? No. It felt so foreign, and that only made me more upset. I'd even laughed as an orphan, but I can't laugh as a delinquent from a prison? That was just… wrong.

Jaime and I shared another look, and I was starting to freak. "Jaime… could I speak to you?"

"Of course."

I dragged Jaime outside, where the pack couldn't hear us.

We stood, staring at each other for the longest time. Then I spoke, and my voice was filled with restraint. "You know I need to leave soon." I'd already been there for four days.

"Why?" he asked innocently. "I don't trust you with a car."

I stared at him, very close to glaring. "Just becase I've had two car accidents that basically resulted in my near death—and one incident of flying of your dad's motorcycle—does not mean I'm a bad driver." My words were really that believeable, but hey, they made sense to me. "And I think you're forgetting one minuscule detail," I added, a bit peeved now.

He noticed my change in mood. When he spoke, his voice was calm, but his eyes were frustrated. "Oh? What's that?"

"I can't die!" I exploded. "It's kinda along the lines of impossible unless some other freak like me decides to come along, tear me to shreds, and set a lighter to me. And then there's that race that can tear me apart with their teeth, but hell, I'm pretty sure you know about _that_! I mean, I was even adopted by them once—oh, and look at that! You're my brother!"

"And _you_ are insane," Jaime growled. I kept glaring at him, my anger almost at boiling point. Insane? Yeah, I think I understood that. After all—I was seeing my captor everywhere I went.

"I don't think you get it," I enunciated, each word slow and deliberate. "Every night I have a nightmare of what happened less than two weeks ago. Sure, as my other half, I could just not sleep. But I can't be my other half. Why? Because I might accidentally eat my younger brother! I don't think you have the _slightest_ idea what happened to me for seven months, Jaime." I yanked down the collar of my shirt, exposing the right side of my neck, where the scar gleamed red, jagged, and irritated. It constantly burned me, literally. "The thing is infected with my kind's venom. It's kind of like rattlesnake poison, only a thousand times worse. Even when I turn back into my real self, it'll still be there. My immortality can't heal that kind of wound.

"And to elaborate on those nightmares," I continued, my laugh angry and bitter, "do you know what it's like to remember everything horrible that has ever happened to you in crystal clear context? Say your best friend dying in your arms, or maybe, just maybe, running away from one of the places I was actually happy? Trying to run away from those memories only made them worse, alright? And I'm sick and tired of dreaming them over and over again. Sick and tired of reliving every damn thing that has ever made me feel guilty in the past.

"I'm sick and tired of remembering how I treated my family. Sick and tired of knowing how my lover is reacting to my leave. I'm sick and tired of knowing what a horrible person I am, okay?" I felt tears sting my eyes and pushed them back, but one escaped and slid down my cheek, bitingly cold in the frigid air. "And I know they're watching me, thinking they should give me space. But, they're kind of obvious about it, you know? They aren't exactly the best spies in the world—or at least they're not trying to. And I know my family thinks I have… issues with them. Why _else_ would I run away—to the Volturi, I might add—and make myself invisible to Alice? Why _else_ would I not come back as I left my locket in Matt's room? Why _else_ would I not come back again as soon as I got out of that goddamn prison? Or maybe after I dropped Alex off?

"What do you think _they_ think, Jaime?" I asked, fixing him with a stare. "Do they think I'm some ungrateful kid who just wanted to hang out with her brother before she bothered to assure her family she was alright?"

Jaime let out a gust of breath at my pause. "That's enough," he interjected before I could continue. "Come inside before you freeze and let me explain something that seems to have escaped that stubborn head of yours."

"I'm not going to freeze," I mumbled dejectedly, even though the cold was biting at my eyes and cheeks. My chest hurt from my outburst, and the tear that slid down my cheek was mocking me as it froze. "I can't die."

He rolled his eyes. "Just come inside," he sighed, and since common sense was starting to dawn on me, I followed him. We walked back to the parlor—one of the only clean places in the House of Jaime—and sat across from each other.

"Okay," I sighed, annoyed. "What the hell is it?"

"Language—"

My mind flashed back to Lucas, and I clenched my teeth. "Please, don't _ever_ say that to me again."

He got the picture. "I wanted to tell you that just after you left for Italy, your entire family burst through the clearing. They bombarded me with questions. Edward demanded me to tell him the truth when I kept thinking: _Zimbabwe_, over and over again. You're aunt, Alice, was pretty much devastated that she couldn't 'see' where the hell you were. They don't think you hate them, Cara. They did think that you'd ran away, but they sure didn't hate you."

"Scent?" I demanded.

"They could smell some other vampires, ones they knew, but your captors had used something to cover up their scent. The Cullens had no idea who it was." He paused while I took it in. "So… sorry."

I blinked. I had been curious—although relieved—that my family hadn't come running after me, "It would have been… difficult if they'd followed me," I said aloud, not looking at my Hispanic brother. I pulled my knees into my chest and rested my chin on them.

"Just stay for a couple more days," he said finally.

I stared at him again, uncomprehending. "I want to be home for Christmas, Jaime, and in case you haven't noticed, my parents have been giving me not-too-subtle hints about their presence. Also, I miss Matt! I haven't seen him in a year, Jaime—haven't seen my family in two and a half. I need to go."

"Who's Matt?" he asked suddenly. "You keep talking about him in your sleep, you slip up in sentences sometimes… who is he?"

I realized I hadn't told Jaime about Matt, and now he was staring at me, arms crossed, with that all-knowing look of his.

"My… lover." But that sounded to sex-based, so I added, "Slashroomieslashboyfriendslashcaretakerslashboss."

I had said it all extremely quickly, a blue of words. If I could, I would've said fiancée or something that provided commitment. But Jaime was very close to laughing right now, and I knew he'd caught every word. "So you're hooking up with your boss," he said. "Wow, Cara. Risqué."

"Not funny. I'm being serious."

He sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. Just stick around for two more days, okay? Then I promise I'll give you money for the first ticket out of here."

"Why two more days?"

"Tonight, I'd really love you forever if you babysat Alex for me." At my look of contempt and disbelief, he added, "I've got a gig tonight with the band, and I think Alex doesn't really… trust people anymore, so I can't hire a babysitter."

"Is the babysitter a vampire?" I asked blankly.

"Well, no. But Cara, come on. Two nights! You can leave after forty-two hours, _exactly_." He gave me the puppy dog eyes, and I rolled my eyes.

"Promise?"

"Absolutely. Promise."

"Fine," I huffed.

"Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!" He cried, hugging me senseless. I pushed him off me, grumbling my discontentedness. He only laughed and mussed my short hair. I glared at him as he finished, "You won't regret it. I promise."

"My only prize is brotherly love. Big whoop. Don't I get cash?"

He shook his head. "I'm paying for your flight. Calm down. Forty-eight hours."

"More like forty-seven hours and fifty-eight minutes," I replied, grinning. He punched my shoulder and asked:

"Who was that guy who you decked in the school parking lot by the way?" He looked past me, remembering. "Did you ever figure it out?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Who was it?" Jaime repeated.

I shook my head. "If you want revenge or something, that's not gonna happen." I paused again.

"Why not?"

"It was Lucas."

**OOO**

"So, remember: Avatar comes on at eight, mac and cheese is on the menu, then put in some movie for him to watch after Avatar is over, and then his bed time is—"

"Eight-thirty." I had cut him off, tapping my head and adding: "Yeah, I know all this. Kinda the point of my power."

"Sorry, just playing the role of big brother." He smiled grimly at me. "Oh yeah! And he's gonna read comics, so make sure the light is turned off…"

Even though Jaime was technically younger than me, I'd never really felt over-protective of him. It may have been because he was a guy, but I doubted that. I think it was because he already had it covered. It was a lot to handle, I realized later. Watching out for your older sister, your younger brother (both of which had nearly been killed… a couple times), and on top of all that, you found out you were a werewolf. Oh, can't forget college either, or the band, or the part time job to pay for the equipment for the band.

Sometimes I really felt bad for Jaime. He needed an extra hand around every once in a while. I'd see that through.

"…he's going to need a bath, too, so make sure he takes it. I don't want—"

"Okay, Jaime. I've got it. Just go, alright? And remember to actually have some fun, comprendo?"

"Right. Bye sis, bye bro."

"Bye," we resounded.

As soon as the door shut, Alex and I turned to each other with evil grins on our faces. "You ready to have some _real_ fun?" I asked, grinning. Alex caught my drift.

"Absolutely," he agreed, scanning the schedule. "But the activities on this… abomination don't fit the definition of 'fun', exactly."

I grinned wider. "You're positively correct. So what do we do about it?"

"Throw it in the fire?" Alex asked excitedly.

"Rip it to shreds?" I shot off.

"Hold it over the snapping jaws of and angry shark?"

"Feed it to the cat?"

"Tie it to a pigeon?"

"Flush it down the toilet?"

"Sit… on it?" Alex asked after a moment, our conversation coming to a halt.

I thought for a moment. "Dear Sir, I do believe we've run out of ideas."

"And I do believe you're right, Old Chap," he consented.

"Just curious, but how did you plan on getting a shark?" I glanced at him suspiciously, frowning my disapproval.

"Shark?" he asked innocently. "Who said shark?"

I scowled playfully, grabbing his hands and twirling with him down the hall. He laughed and I sat him in a chair at the counter. "So what do you want to do? Anything and everything. The sky's the limit."

"We could… play some videogames," he suggested lamely.

"That works, too."

After an hour of slaughtering and hacking zombies' sorry heads off, I was blasting music from Jaime's computer while I cooked dinner. Macaroni and cheese. I was using the spoon as a microphone, singing my guts out and dancing like I was on something. I was having fun.

"If I go crazy,

Then will you still call me Superman?

If I'm alive and well,

Will you be there,

A holdin' my hand?

I'll keep you by my side

With my Superhuman,

My Kryptonite!"

"Guitar solo!" Alex yelled, getting down on both knees and jamming out on his air guitar. I laughed, throwing my head back and stirring the mac and cheese.

"Okay, okay. How about we crank it up with some backstreet boys?"

It was interesting, that night, to eat Mac and Cheese, chill with my kid brother, and watch a cartoon with people who could bend the elements. And after that, we watched a movie with blood, guts, at the most amount of gore I'd seen in a really long time. I doubted Jaime would approve, but that's just what made it all the more awesome. I mean, I wasn't corrupting the kid's mind or anything. If he could survive prison, he could survive a horror movie.

Then it was just me on the couch alone, flipping through an album I'd found under Jaime's desk. Caroline was in most of the pictures of when he was younger. She was lanky and tall, even awkward looking—but the thing was that she held herself with confidence. And then there were pictures of all three kids, and Alex was just a baby. And then, I flipped the page again, and it was just Jaime and Alex. No Caroline. And eventually, the pictures began to slow, a long period of time stretched between each photo. I could see Alex age and Jaime grow more serious, and then there was one picture snuck in sloppily between Alex and Jaime at ages eight and sixteen and one of them at ages seventeen (or eighteen, I was guessing) and nine.

The photo was of me and Jaime, beating each other's asses at a video game. I was deep in concentration, my fingers a blur against the buttons, but Jaime had taken a swift glance at the camera (which Alex was holding) and grinned triumphantly. Ironically, I had beat him seconds later because his attention had been diverted, and I'd smashed up his team.

I felt my chest constrict as I looked behind another picture, and this one was of me and Jaime arm wrestling, and I have to admit—I beat his sorry ass again. Probably my surfacing vampire strength.

Then there was another photo—one Maria had made us take when we'd gotten to the new house in Montana. I had Alex hiked up on my hip grinning at the camera in that exasperated way. And Alex was smiling from ear to ear. Jaime was leaning against one of the pillars on the front porch, an amused expression on his face. He was nice about it though. Humoring his mother.

"Cara!"

The scared voice came from the hallway, and I snapped the book shut and glanced to it. Alex was running down the stairs as fast as his little legs could carry him. I stuffed the scrapbook underneath the desk and sat in shock as Alex stopped in the doorway, heaving.

Maybe the movie wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Cara!" he yelled again, and I winced, leaning back in my seat. 

"What? What's wrong?"

He scooted closer to me, glaring out of the window to my right. "Th-there was this guy, Cara! He was outside my window! And he was huge!"

My chest clenched. "What?" I asked. "Slow down. Are you sure it wasn't a nightmare? That movie was pretty scary."

"No!" He shook his head. "I promise it wasn't!"

"Okay, then," I muttered, getting up and walking him to the living room. "Can you describe him?" I sat him down against me, stroking his hair as he latched onto my arm.

"He was tall, and pale," my brother began, and my body clenched in fear. Crap. "And he was huge! He had these humongous muscles—bigger than Jaime!"

"Everyone's muscles are bigger than Jaime's," I chuckled.

"And he had really dark, curly hair and he was, like, huge!"

Something clicked then. "Emmett," I hissed.

"What?"

"My uncle!" I grumbled angrily. "Oh, my god. If you're going to spy on me, you might as well _talk_ to me!" I yelled to no one in particular. Alex let go of my arm and scooted away as I stood up, pacing. "Do you know why he was there?" I asked Alex.

"Are you kidding me? I wasn't going to stay and wait for him to eat me!"

I stopped pacing, glancing at Alex. Our movie had been Silence of the Lambs—about Hannibal the Cannibal. No wonder Alex thought people wanted to eat him. "He wasn't going to eat you," I assured him. "He was probably trying to see if I was with you."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Well I'm not going back to my room. It's on the second floor—Jaime was always telling me: 'No one can reach you up there, you're perfectly safe'," he mocked. "Yeah right!"

"Vampires are really strong, Alex. Normal people can't scale walls and stuff."

"Vampire?" he squeaked. I shot a glance at him; he was wrapped in a blanket, his eyes wide.

I huffed, crossing my arms. "I said he was my uncle, didn't I?"

"Well, yeah—"

"And I'm a vampire, right?"

He shook his head rapidly, and I felt a bit bad for the poor kid. "You're not right now! You're human. –Ish," he added.

"Well, okay. What about Maddie? You didn't have problems with her."

"Yeah, but I know Maddie, and I know you. I don't know…" Gulp. "Emmett."

I rolled my eyes, smiling in spite of myself. "Okay, you can chill with me. Turn on avatar or something. I'm gonna go get a snack from the freezer outside."

"Kay," he agreed, already flipping through the channels. I walked into the garage, and outside, leaning against the wall.

"Emmett!" I hissed, feeling stupid.

But then there was a gust of wind, and my uncle was standing in front of me. "Hey, kiddo!" He said, reaching forward and ruffling my hair. I squirmed out from under, glaring at him. I opened my mouth to reproach him, but he held a finger to his lips. "Shh, Cara. If Edward finds out I'm here—"

"Which reminds me," I growled. "Why have you guys been avoiding me?"

"Edward thinks it's for the best, of course. 'Give her space. She needs time to forget'," he mocked. "Of course, he's also a dumbass for getting Carlisle to agree to that."

"How is everybody?" I asked softly.

He ran a hand over his face, saying, "Alice and Jasper were going nuts, you know. Alice with the visions, Jasper because she was going nuts. Obviously, so were you're parents, and Rose and I too. Carlisle and Esme were—well, everyone was worried sick. We looked for you all over, but we couldn't find you. It was as if he'd gotten on of his minions to put a shield on something. We don't know what happened, but we looked where you were—and it was as if the prison wasn't even there."

"Weird," I allowed. He nodded.

Emmett grinned. "I missed you, kiddo. Everyone did."

I pushed back the tears in my eyes. I still didn't want to be all weak and annoying. "Me too, Emmett."

He hugged me ruffling my hair one last time, and then he said, "I better get back before Edward walks in the door and reads Alice's mind. Bye."

"Bye."

I walked back to the living room and plopped down on the sofa beside Alex, watching that Aang dude beat up some sorry fire dude's ass. (Wow, did I need to stop bonding with the TV, or what?)

I just hoped Jaime wouldn't freak when he smelled vampire on his doorstep.

**OOO**

**I originally had plans of this chapter being about twice this size. But, I realized it was too long for you guys to wait, and so I tweaked it a bit. **

**Oh, and if you had tried to sign my guestbook on my website earlier, I'm sorry I didn't realize that it was members only. I changed it, so if you have a song you'd like to see in an outtake of your choice, go ahead and leave it there. Also, thank you to all who DID sign the guestbook. **

**--not edited. Sorry. I don't have time. The superbowl's tonight and I gotta clean.**

**Hope ya like,**

**Jamie**


	19. I'm Going Home

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 19: I'm Going Home_

**I'm Going Home—Chris Daughtry.**

**If anyone's looking for good books to read, try the Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine. Really good. Glass Houses is the first one. Don't own, sadly.**

**OOO**

Alex was in bed, I was up, and Jaime was looking at me guiltily, but he was kinda pissed, too.

Let's recap: Before Alex had went to bed, I'd rigged Jaime's computer, sorting through his iTunes playlists. I normally wouldn't have done this, but when I was streaming Backstreet Boys, and 3 Doors Down, I couldn't help but notice a certain playlist. One that said Dec 20.

Seeing as December 20th hadn't _happened_ yet, I clicked it open, and looked at the notes. These notes included that there was something going down on this date, and these songs were going to be sung by Jaime's band. On each note, there was a name—a few I didn't recognize, due to the fact I hadn't met Jaime's entire band yet—and by that name was the reason as to why they were singing it.

I saw Jaime, Freesia, and a few other names (which I didn't recognize, stated above). But then there was a name I did happen to know—and it wasn't anyone who lived in this house permanently. That's because it was my name.

Cara Cullen.

I had to admit I was a bit surprised at first, but then I remembered in the car earlier that morning (or technically, yesterday—considering it was now three in the morning now. And December 20th). "You can sing?" Jaime had asked, and I'd told him one of my many foster parents had been a chorus instructor.

So, point blank: Jaime had a gig tonight with the band. He wanted me to sing.

I hadn't sung in a while—really. I had tried to after I'd… left, but the words came out strangled and tired sounding. I didn't understand how he wanted me to sing. In front of people. And the thing was, the songs on my list were depressing songs. About romance.

He either had a sick sense of humor, or he just didn't get it—even after I'd explained the mechanics of my life to him.

So I glared at him now, my arms crossed and tight. "I cannot believe you right now, Jaime," I growled lowly.

"Me?" he asked, pointing to himself. "You ignored my list!"

"Do not," I said slowly, "change the subject. I explained this to you, you dork. Do I need to go over it _again_?"

He sighed. "It's not like I was going to force you to sing, Cara. I was going to tell you—"

"_When_?" I demanded. "Is this why you wanted me here an extra two days? So I could baby-sit and fill in for your band? You're keeping me from my family, Jaime. Just last night Emmett came to check up on me."

"Isn't _your dad_ keeping your family from _you_?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Shut up," I growled.

"I'm stating facts! You told me about your conversation, right? Edward getting Carlisle to agree that the family doesn't screw with you right now. Do you know why?"

I did know, but I didn't say anything. He'd say it anyway—I knew he would.

"Because you're messed up."

I knew it was coming, I knew he'd say it, but that didn't stop my body from going to its natural defense—cold and detached. I shut my eyes, breathing deeply. _Jaime's a guy_, I told myself. _When he's scared, hurt, or just plain backed into a corner, he lashes out. Gets angry. Takes it out on others_.

I didn't blame him for saying that. I'd done all three: backed him in a corner, hurt him by accusing him of keeping me hostage, and scared him by bringing up Emmett.

But that didn't stop my eyes from stinging—didn't stop the memories from surfacing. I tried to push them back, but the flooded me anyway. I don't think I showed any sign of the pain I was feeling, because of that natural defense of mine. I think to Jaime, I looked like I was just sitting there with my eyes closed. I could probably pass for asleep.

Ironically, my mind was wide awake.

"Cara—"

"No," I said, keeping perfectly still. "You're right. I am messed up." My voice sounded strange. Different from my other detached voices.

"I didn't mean—"

I took another deep breath. "I was messed up from practically day one, Jaime. I get it. I've gotten it my whole life. When I finally found what I thought I was looking for, I wasn't ready to accept it, and so I found a way to take off. Even if it meant I was pledging my loyalty to a complete stranger." I sighed, a wistful sound. "And I was getting better after that, too. Being in Italy, with Matt. I didn't really think much of it. I mean—I'm not suicidal. Not emo. But my life was _bad_, okay? We've been over it."

He ran a hand over his face. "Sorry," he said. "I got carried away. I didn't mean it like that. But I think if maybe you allowed yourself to have some fun, instead of listening to depressing songs on your iPod twenty-four/seven in your room all alone, then maybe they'll see you're fine. Alex told me he thought you were having fun."

"I was."

"Well, then. There you go." He grinned at me, and I tried to smile back, but my eyes were still stinging.

I sighed, pushing myself up from the couch and uncrossing my arms. "Fine," I said. "I'll do whatever it is that you're planning."

"And that's why you're the best vampire sister ever," Jaime replied, grinning. I scowled, but smiled.

"But I'm tired, and I'm going to bed. See you… well, not tomorrow, just later."

"Night, sis. Sorry, again."

"No blood, no foul," I assured him.

And I did go to bed, but I didn't sleep. My music rang in my ears as I stared up at the ceiling, and I couldn't help but think.

**OOO**

I must have fallen asleep along the lines of six in the AM, because when I woke next it was noon, and my hair was messy, and my music had stopped. I sat up in bed, glancing out the window and into the woods. I glared at the trees.

_Dear Dad,_ I thought sarcastically. _Hi! How are you? Well, just to let you know, I'm peachy! Miss you, Cara_. I got up and washed my face, brushed my teeth, and skipped down the stairs, slightly fuming.

Even Emmett had seemed pissed. Which wasn't normal unless someone was threatening someone he cared about, or had beaten him in a wrestling match. Interesting.

When I got into the kitchen, I saw Freesia in sweats and one of Jaime's t-shirts. "Rough night?" I asked, grinning.

"Bite me," she teased, but then stopped abruptly, eyes wide.

"I know you didn't mean it." I waved it off, trying not to think of how two werewolves would… well, was the word mate, or make love? Who knew?

I really, really didn't want to think about it. At all.

"So… when is the gig tonight?" I changed the subject willingly. I grabbed some ice-cream from the fridge and plucked a spoon from a drawer. It was clean—surprise, surprise. I shoveled in massive bites of mint chocolate chip.

Freesia shrugged. "Whenever enough weirdos show up," she said.

"Weirdos?"

"Kidding," she told me. "I know everyone who's coming. Some of them are a bit… different, but hell, who am I to talk? I'm a werewolf." She rolled her eyes at me, adding, "And you're a half-vampire, legal sister of my imprint. Yay."

I smiled, no teeth—I still had ice-cream in my mouth. "Freesia," I said, mockingly serious, once I had swallowed, "I'm full fledged vamp when I want to be. Don't underestimate me."

"Wasn't trying to," she replied hastily; I don't think she realized I was only kidding around. "I know you're badass. Jaime told me everything."

"That boy cannot keep secrets," I sighed regretfully.

As we settled into a comfortable silence, I remembered my conversation with Emmett—he hadn't said a single word about Matt. I wondered why. Sure, Daddy Dearest thought I needed "time", but I should have asked, at least, about Matt. And the funny thing was I almost did ask, but I think I grew scared, not wanting an answer. I hadn't even asked myself. There was a thin line between what I should have done, and what I had wanted to do.

Wow. I _sucked_.

I shook my head, shoveling more spoonfuls of fat into my mouth. Yum.

**OOO**

Jaime had made me practice all day on the songs I had to sing. All day. I was afraid my voice would wear out.

"Are we done yet?" I asked later, sighing angrily. Jaime grinned at me, tuning his guitar, again. He shook his head, frowning as one of the strings popped. "That's what happens when you make me practice crap all day. It's called karma."

He glared at me, rolling his eyes. "Karma's what people make up so that the bigger, badder folks in town don't beat the shit from them. But hey—whatever. You wanna get beat up, go right ahead."

"You're talking bull," I told him as he tossed me a beer. I caught it—reflexes—and frowned at him. "You think this'll help me sing better?"

"Do you want some pansy-wine instead?"

"No."

He smirked. "I should have given you that a long time ago. You would have been more fun."

"I'm perfectly fine the way I am," I argued, knowing my words were lies. I was almost about ready to chew Jaime's head off because of the songs he'd picked. Most of them reminded me of things. Things I'd rather forget.

"Right."

"Don't back-sass me," I chided. "You're underage, mister."

I flopped into a chair, staring at my feet. This time tomorrow, I'd be home-free. I sighed loudly, popping off the beer cap easily and taking a swig. Then I clasped both hands around it, staring at nothing. Empty words floated through my head, taunting me. I felt a chill go down my back, and I glanced behind me when I saw Jaime turn.

The beer bottle flew upwards, spinning, and I cringed. I felt my mouth move, but I couldn't hear my scream. It was like the waves of sound had stopped, and I could only see what was happening. Jamie's head whipped back at me, sorta in slow motion.

And then everything sped up, and I began to process what the hell was going on.

I was wet and smelled like beer—courtesy of my throwing it halfway into the air. I was screaming, and that I stopped. I blinked rapidly, wiping alcohol from my forehead and near my eyes. I glanced back behind me slowly.

Nothing.

But he had been there—I'd seen it. Lucas had been perching on the couch beside me, just staring at me. That wasn't what scared me though. It was the smile. The Cheshire cat smile that chilled me to the bone. And I hadn't just seen him, I'd felt him. I'd felt the hairs rise on the back of my neck, I'd felt the shiver run down my spine. Felt the goose bumps jump up along my body.

Jaime glanced at me before surveyed Freesia and Dan, who were also in the room. They were all staring at me like I was crazy. It didn't count if I was—but they were.

"Jeez, Cara," Jaime said. "I know girls don't like to get wet, or drenched in beer, but even Freesia doesn't scream that loud." I shot him a grateful glance, quickly turning it into a glare for the act he was putting on.

I flung bits of beer at him, acting annoyed. "You gave me a defective bottle, you twerp!" I yelled, and he grinned, playing along.

"Good, wasn't it? Man, I gotta start teaching Alex some of these." Freesia and Dan laughed, completely buying it. I guessed Jaime was liable to do something like this any day.

"Your loss. Your couch is completely wigged out now. Jaime, I need another shirt."

"Coming!" he called, and I knew he was winking at Dan and Freesia for extra emphasis.

When I was in my bathroom, changing, Jaime spoke from the other side of the door. "What happened?" he asked, and as I opened my mouth to reply, he added, "Don't even think to bullshit me."

I sighed, peeling off my top and sponging. I felt a thud against the door as Jaime leaned on the other side of it. "Hallucinating again. No biggie."

"Hmm. I think my BS Detector is beeping."

"Shut up," I grumbled. "It happens a lot. I'm almost used to it."

"Beep. Beep. Beep—"

"You are so obnoxious. Look, it was just a slip up. I was remembering some things and I forgot to keep my guard up. I just need some more sleep. That's all." I put on a pair of cotton shorts and a tank. No need to get dressed up before I had to. I opened the door and Jaime staggered a bit.

He rolled his eyes as I glared at him. "Then go to bed," he said, ignoring me. "You've practiced enough. I'll wake you up an hour before the show, okay?"

"You don't need to tuck me in."

"I had to scare away the monsters, didn't I?"

I didn't say anything for a moment. "We _are_ monsters."

"No," he disagreed. "Being a monster is part of our mindset. You've never killed anyone who didn't deserve it. You saved Alex and Maddie. What could you possibly have done that's monster-like?"

I didn't answer, because I knew what it was, and I didn't want to admit it. But the back of my mind was chanting, reminding me of what I did. Of who I left. How many people I left. I turned around casually before he could see my reaction. "You're right," I lied easily. "Never mind. I'll see you later."

As he left, I curled up and locked away my emotions, at least for a while. I didn't even turn on my iPod.

**OOO**

"Up and at em!" Jaime yelled from the doorway, and I shot up from bed, my eyes wide, my heartbeat accelerating.

"Frick, Jaime!" I complained. "Aren't you supposed to wake people gently?"

He grinned. "What's the fun in that? Oh, and you should brush your hair. You look gross."

"Thanks so much."

"Anytime."

I did what he said, and changed into the clothes Freesia left for me. They were nice, but Alice would shake her head in shame. Then I raced downstairs and the rest of the household was down there, waiting. Freesia jumped up when she saw me, hugging me. "So where's this gig?" I asked over her shoulder.

"The roof," Jaime replied smugly. "Where else?"

"You're kidding."

"No, I'm not."

I shrugged, looking down at the high heels. "Great."

"Don't worry, a part of it's flat. We had that done a while back—it's been useful." Dan glanced up as his mouth said the words, and grinned at me. "We couldn't let Jaime's sister fall off the roof, even if you are a vamp."

I knew he was teasing, and I retorted, "Sheesh. Werewolves are grumpy today. When do we do this?"

"In about… oh, five minutes?" We all looked at each other, grinning. The show was on.

We went up to the attic, and opened the door to the flat section of the roof, where a band member was already addressing the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen! You've seen the flyers around town, you've heard the buzz, now please give it up for your neighborhood band—The Wolfgang!"

There was a roar of approval, and I glanced at Jaime suspiciously. "So incognito," I commented, and he just grinned.

All the lights were off, and strobe lights, skylights, and spotlights had been installed while I was asleep. The band was in complete darkness as I took my space beside Freesia, Dan at the drums, Jaime at the center front. The two other members of the band, Henry and Vince were flanking my brother, rock-grave looks on their faces. Jaime turned from the crowd, and then it began.

First it was just the strobe lights, flashing in time with the drums, and then a mist appeared on the roof, engulfing our feet as the base players began to strum their guitars. Then, as Freesia and I began clapping our hands—hey, we were only the back-up singers (at least on most occasions)—a spotlight appeared on Jaime, and he came to life. His eyes met with Freesia's for a moment, and he winked at her before leaping around to face the crowd, his hands moving in a blur with the strings of his guitar.

"We're gonna start it off with a classic, folks," he shouted, still jamming his guitar. "If you're familiar with rock, this concert's gonna be a blast."

The crowd screamed their support as he nodded slightly to Dan, who tuned the drums up a notch. Then he began to sing and yell at the same time, and I felt my heartbeat synch itself to the music. It was a familiar sensation to me.

Jaime sang Forsaken, by Skillet. It reminded me of my change, and I cringed from the memory.

The crowd roared as our song halted. I leaned over to breathe—I hadn't been singing much, but I'd felt the rush.

Jaime glanced back at me as the roar died down. He grinned, motioning to the mic. I shook my head, but he spoke into it anyway, smiling hugely. "Hey, fellow people of the audience!" he called, and they immediately quieted. "I know the flyer doesn't say anything about what's coming next, but I have a proposition for you. My sister, Cara Cullen, has a wonderful singing voice. I think you guys would be missing out if she didn't sing for us tonight. So what do you say?"

The crowd hollered their thanks and encouragement. I blushed slightly, standing up, and walking toward center stage. Jaime kept the mic out of my reach and declared one last mini-speech. "Give it up for Cara Cullen!"

Another howl.

The music began playing immediately—thank you, Jaime—or else I'd have to give a mini-speech, too. One of the base players—Vince, I think, moved to the piano, and he began to play. It was just me and the music. No backup singers this time.

"_I waited for you today,  
but you didn't show no, no, no.  
I needed you today  
So where did you go?  
_

"_You told me to call,  
Said you'd be there.  
And though I haven't seen you,  
Are you still there?  
_

"_I cried out with no reply,  
and I can't feel you by my side.  
So I'll hold tight to what I know:  
You're here, and I'm Never Alone.  
_

"_And though I cannot see you,  
and I can't explain why,  
such a deep, deep reassurance  
You've placed in my life.  
Oh!  
_

"_We cannot separate  
cause you're part of me.  
And though you're invisible,  
I'll trust the unseen.  
_

"_I cried out with no reply,  
and I can't feel you by my side.  
So I'll hold tight to what I know:  
You're here and I'm Never Alone._

"We cannot separate,  
you're part of me.  
And though you're invisible,  
I'll trust the unseen.  


"_I cried out with no reply,  
and I can't feel you by my side.  
So I'll hold tight to what I know:  
You're here, and I'm Never Alone."_

And then, one other song.

"_Raindrops, Fall From, Everywhere.  
I Reach Out, For You, But Your Not There.  
So I Stood, Waiting, In The Dark  
With Your Picture, In My Hands  
Story Of a Broken Heart._

"Stay With Me  
Don't Let Me Go  
Cause I Can't Be Without You.  
Just Stay With Me  
And Hold Me Close  
Because I've Built My World Around You.  
And I Don't Wanna Know What's It Like Without You,  
So Stay with Me  
Just Stay With Me.

"I'm Trying And Hoping, For The Day  
When my touch is enough  
To Take The Pain Away.  
Cause I've Searched For So Long  
The Answer Is Clear:  
We'll be OK if We Don't Let It Disappear.

"Stay With Me  
Don't let Me go  
Cause I Can't Be Without You.  
Just Stay With Me  
And Hold Me Close  
Because I've Built My World Around You.  
And I Don't Wanna Know What's it Like Without You,  
So Stay with Me  
Just Stay With Me.

"I've searched my heart over  
So many, many times  
No you and I, is like no stars to light the sky at night.  
Our Picture Hangs Out Of Tune  
Remind Me Of The Days  
You Promised Me We'd Always  
And Never Go Away.  
That's Why I Need You To Stay.

"Stay With Me  
Don't let Me go  
Cause I Can't Be Without You.  
Just Stay With Me  
And Hold Me Close  
Because I've Built My World Around You.  
And I Don't Wanna Know What's It Like Without You  
So Stay with Me  
Just Stay With Me.

"Ooh... oh oh  
Don't leave  
So I stay waiting in the dark..."

I took a deep breath as I finished, forcing back memories. _You're fine,_ I told myself. _You're perfectly okay. Fun, this is fun._

But I knew it wasn't fun, and I knew that if I stayed too much longer, I'd crack. I stayed for two more songs, and then I gave a mini-salute to Jaime during a break. He nodded, his smile grim.

"At least you sang twice," he said. "Wasn't that fun?"

"Extremely," I lied. He didn't catch it this time, and I was thankful for that.

He smiled again. "Well get going, kid. Come around soon, I'll miss you."

"Love you, Jaime." He returned it with a hug, and then I was in my room, grabbing my duffle, and racing out the backdoor, already phasing into a vampire, running to the forest.

An ear-shattering shriek pierced the forest quiet. I skidded to a halt, frozen. My indecision wavered: home, or did I turn around and save this girl. I only barely had to think about it before I was turning and streaking back to the concert, my duffle previously dropped in the dirt.

As I sped back into the light, Jaime saw me. He was coming out the back door to grab a water bottle and as I rushed past, he grabbed my arm. "What's going on?" he shouted over the buzz of the crowd.

I tore my arm free, glancing behind me. "Did you hear a scream?" I asked, and he shook his head, a confused look on his face.

"No, I, well—"

"Well, I did," I interrupted, glancing around. "I gotta go."

"Cara!"

But I was already running, racing past the groupies at human speed. Another guy grabbed my arm, and asked, "Hey, Baby. Why you running so fast? I bet I could make you stay."

I grabbed the nearest drink and flung it in his face, not sticking around to hear the: "Bitch!" I ran faster and faster, and I heard another shriek. I was getting closer.

I halted silently in front of the next alley, listening intently.

"No, no! Please, don't—I'll do anything!"

I shook my head. You don't plead with attackers; you act badass and hope they'll leave you alone. I listened again, my expression grim.

"Now why would we do that, Sweet?" I mentally gagged, hearing another cry.

I peeked around the edge of the wall, taking in my surroundings. _Think first, act later,_ Jasper's voice rang. Good military advice, but hey—I couldn't wait too long.

The girl was maybe fourteen, tiny and vulnerable, not to mention scared. Three burly guys were crowed around her, one's hand reaching out to her pale skin. One of the guys had a gun.

Fantastic.

Another strangled cry and I couldn't bear to wait anymore. I stepped out from the wall and strode easily down the dark alley, confidence radiating off of me easily. Pain rippled through my body as I changed into my other self, my vampire self, but I ignored it.

The girl locked eyes with me, scared, thinking I was another attacker. I very well could be, I decided grimly, but that wasn't what I was here for. Instead, I pushed past the guys and linked my arm around the girl's shoulders, challenging our enemy with my dangerous eyes.

They all mocked fear, elbowing and laughing at each other. "Ooh, another chick," one of them called. My eyes narrowed: Mistake number one.

"I think you have the wrong girl here, men," I said quietly, making sure to leave the "gentle" out of gentlemen. "Now, if you'd be so kind, I'd like to take her back to the party."

The jeered again, and I sighed. Mistake number two. They obviously hadn't registered the danger in my tone. "Not likely," taunted the man again. I figured he was the leader. He smirked, reaching out to grab me.

Mistake number three. Game on.

My hand collided with his before he came within a foot radius, and I squeezed hard. Vampire hard. I could feel the bones crush beneath the force of my hand, and the ligaments tearing. A look of terror spread across his face, and his mind registered the pain a millisecond later. He yelled out, cradling his hand to his chest and backing away from me.

"There's something funky about that bitch," he told his men. "Flank her."

I shifted my feet, placing myself in front of the girl as the other two advanced. The terrified teen's breathing was ragged, and she kept repeating, "Oh God. Oh, my god…" I ignored her, my eyes focused on the bastard with the rifle. As he raised it, aiming the barrel at my face, I leapt into action—literally.

I jumped, one foot hooking around the barrel of the gun while the other braced my fall. I brought the rifle to my hands and swung it in a large arc, cracking one of the guys on the side of his scalp. There was a sick, crunching sound as they collided, but I wasted no time. Next, I bent my leg as far in as possible, and rocketed it back out, slamming the second guy in the stomach.

While they were struggling to get up, I dragged the girl to he mouth of the alley and pushed her under a streetlight. She was clutching her shirt together, just in case. I disregarded that. Now or never.

"You know the concert going on about a block from here?" I called out to her.

She nodded, gulping in air. "Of course. I was heading over there when—"

"I don't care," I interrupted, glancing behind me. "The Hispanic/ Native American dude on stage is my brother, Jaime. Tell him Cara sent you, and tell him _exactly_ what happened. If you can't find him, ask anyone for Jaime, Dan, or Freesia. Go."

"But—"

"GO!"

She tore off in the direction of the party, and as I turned to survey the damage I'd caused, two rough hands caught me, dragging me back. One leered in my face, making me scowl. "You just lost us our bundle of fun," he sneered. I shot my leg up and kicked him in the groin. He doubled over, and I twisted my arms, bringing the man that was detaining me up and over my head. The angle he laid in on the cold ground was definitely not normal.

I turned to the dark alley, appraising the damage (something I had _tried_ to do before). The dude who'd I conked with the gun was out cold, and the guy I'd kicked in the groin was the leader—I hadn't only crushed his reproductive organs. They guy who'd been holding me was stirring, so I raced down the alley. I stomped on the gun as I roared past, destroying it.

I sprung as I reached a picket fence, digging my nails into the wood. My body slammed against the panes—let me tell you: breasts plus planks equals _hurt_. I winced as the unpolished wood dug splinters into my fingers, but I ignored the pain and pulled myself over the barrier, falling into the ground and rolling.

"Shit," I muttered as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I bet ten zillion big ones that it was Jaime. "Yes?" I asked as I rose to my feet, wincing as streaks of cutting pain ran up my leg. No biggie. I pushed it to the back of my mind and began running.

"Cara?" a panicked voice asked. Yup—Jaime. "What the hell is going on? This kid named Halley—" He broke off, hysteria bubbling in his tone.

I rolled my eyes. "Three words, brother," I said slowly, but a shot rang out, taking my voice with it. I ducked behind a dumpster, breathing hard.

"Was that an effing _gun_?" my younger brother demanded. Oh, boy.

"Yeah, probably," I answered, "but _three words_."

I began to flee again as he asked, "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"I can't die," I told him, and hung up.

Boy, I was in for it later.

I skidded, slipping, as I faced a dead end. Shit, shit, shit! What had I been thinking? Hello, I knew things—I definitely should have known where I was going. I was doomed if no freaking miracle was in store for me.

I turned slowly, and my eyes locked with the man who'd held me down. He had a gun in his hand—a thirty-eight revolver. I tried not to show fear, but my mind was screaming. I didn't think I could die—I was pretty sure I couldn't.

But the theory had never been tested.

"Nice time, bitch," the guy said. He was the only one I hadn't severely injured.

I heard the click of the gun, the bullet shooting from its barrel to whiz towards my head. I heard the air part as the shot raced at my face, and I felt the precipitation bead on my skin. I wrenched my eyes shut, turning my head, my senses heightened in my time of dying.

But the bullet never collided with my skin, and when I was positive it had to be over by now, and as I slowly opened my eyes, shock must've been present on my face. I couldn't believe it—how had he known?

The bullet had slammed into the wall next to me—the guy was probably drunk and couldn't aim. "You really want to move the gun," I told him, voice strong and low, hinting at a dangerous promise. "Now."

He grinned a manic grin. "Alright," he concurred, lowering the gun to it was pointing at my heart. I glanced at it dismissively, and then behind him.

Hurry up, I thought as his finger teased the trigger. He had no clue what was in store for him.

I hadn't blinked, and my eyes were stinging like hell. I was almost starting to wish I hadn't let them chase me.

In a flash—a blur so quick that I didn't even have time to twitch—my attacker was up against the wall beside me, a pale hand bracing him in place. My gaze trailed to the owner of the hand, and I slid down the wall in relief.

It was Edward—my dad. And he looked _mad_. In his other hand was the thirty-eight revolver, and he crushed it slowly, a slow smile spreading across his face as the metal groaned in protest.

"Get up." He hadn't glanced at me as he ordered the command, and I rose shakily to my feet, bracing my hands on my knees and bending over. "Emmett," I heard my dad say, "as much as I'd like to kill this man, I'll let you take care of him."

"Hell, yes!"

My dad was by my side in a flash, checking me over. "I'm fine," I told him, clinging to the part of my mind that was just accepting his presence, and not screaming in shock.

"That was the _stupidest_ thing—by far—you have ever done." He sounded a little smug as he said this, though. Almost proud. "I can't believe you did that _alone_."

I rolled my eyes, still gulping in air from my trauma. "Hello, vampire," I intoned, pointing to myself. He chuckled a little. "What made you decide to intervene now?"

"Just the small fact of your life being threatened."

"So you just stuck around for thirty minutes while I beat a bunch of jerks' asses?" I asked, kinda stunned. That didn't sound like my family.

His expression, when I glanced up, was sick. "Alice was sure you could handle it," he explained sourly.

"I almost did," I argued, ignoring the sound of a neck snapping. "If I hadn't run, I probably could have—"

I bent over again, overcome with dizziness. I had tried to stand up—not smart. "Are you alright?" my dad asked, grabbing my arm to steady me.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked stupidly, breathing hard. He didn't answer for a moment, but mulled over my question.

"At the concert."

"Excuse me?"

"Alice, Rosalie, and your mother stayed. I kind of had to persuade Bella, but nothing out of the ordinary. Carlisle and Esme are at the house, and jasper and Emmett are here with me."

"Hi, Jasper," I called out.

"Squirt!" he shot back.

I tried to stand again, not wanting to feel weak in front of my vampire family. But Jasper hissed as I was overcome with a wave a nausea, black spots appearing in front of my eyes. I felt my consciousness slipping, and heard Jasper say, "Get her off her feet—"

But it was too late. I was already in la-la-land. And for once, I didn't mind.

**OOO**

**Sorry, sorry, sorry that took so long.**

**Now, before you all say something, I know you wanted her rescuer to be Matt. I know. But I was reading Twilight, and I remembered the part where Eddie said he only killed the bad people, and that's not Matt. And I just thought it would be FANTASTIC (haha) if Edward saved the day so his daughter could see him in his shining glory. You CANNOT argue with that. **

**BTW, the songs were Never Alone, by BarlowGirl and Stay With Me, by Danity Kane. Um, I didn't know the first was a Christian band until recently, so don't go getting the wrong message. Jaime made Cara think of her love for MATT and her change. And Never Alone symbolized the time she was in the prison.**

**And **_**J**_** (anonymous reviewer): You said I should write something form Alex's POV. Good idea, but I most likely won't make it a story—more of a one-shot or outtake. Why? Because not many people want to read OC stories, and the people who are familiar with mine won't have a problem reading a oneshot. Plus, I just don't have enough time on my hands to be working with the sequel to this, outtakes, and another story. It'll be a really long oneshot, I promise, but not a story. :)**

**Hahaha. I'll begin the next chapter as soon as I can.**

**Jamie**


	20. It's Been a While

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 20: It's Been a While_

**It's Been a While—Staind. **

**OOO**

When I finally came back to the world, I didn't open my eyes. In fact, I probably gave no sign I was conscious. I had the faintest dreams of being scooped up and carried a long way, the wind rustling my hair and clothes. I heard murmurs and voices, speaking to quickly for me to completely understand. "God… back…what _happened_… Alice… she collapsed… okay…" I no longer felt cold stone beneath my head as before, no longer smelt the city air.

I forced my eyes opened, groaning. My family's faces swam into focus. My dad was the first one I saw and I sat up and hugged him, sobbing into his shirt. He stiffened for a moment—not used to this motion; I'd never randomly hugged him before—before wrapping his arms around me, too. "Dad!" I blubbered, my shoulders shaking uncontrollably. "I'm so glad that—" I broke off, unable to speak. My father began to murmur and soothe me while I sobbed for what seemed like hours.

I just couldn't believe I was home.

"What did they _do_ to you?" Mom gasped from behind me, laying a tentative hand on my shoulder. I only cried harder, images flashing behind my eyes relentlessly. Edward stiffened again.

"Bella," he growled, his tone full of anger at someone I didn't know. "It was…"

"Horrible," Jasper and Alice finished, reading emotions and remembering visions.

I could barely breathe, I was bawling so hard. "Make it stop," I pleaded to no one in particular as the knife cut through my neck. "Make it _stop_!"

Calm then. Calm so strong that my chest wracking sobs became sniffles. Calm so strong it eroded all my other fears and made me want to fall asleep. I thrashed in my father's arms, tears still making seeing impossible.

"No!" I cried out. I didn't want to sleep before I saw everyone. "No, no, no, no, no!"

The calm didn't cease, though, and I heard Carlisle say, "Jasper, enough."

"What is it, sweetheart?" Bella asked, stroking my hair. My father stiffened before I could even ask my question.

"He's not here, is he?" I said quietly. "He went back, didn't he?"

No one said a word, but my answer rang clear in the silence.

**OOO**

It was the day after that I woke in my bedroom, curled into a call, trying to force away the pain. I was driving Jasper crazy, I was sure. But I refused to come out, and I'd pushed a dresser in front of my door. They could push past it if they wanted, of course, but they got the message.

I'd known it was too good to be true.

Finding my family, beating a couple of neighborhood bastard's asses, saving some random girl… My mind struggled to remember her name. Halley, had Jaime said? Oh, Jaime… I needed to call him back so he didn't go ballistic.

But just as I reached for my cell, which had been buzzing all day, actually, Alice knocked down the door. Literally.

I gapped at her as she strode in like it was no big deal, ignoring Esme's irritated yell. She surveyed the damage she'd caused, not glancing at me, and then she picked the door up and leaned it against the wall before shoving the dresser to the other side of the room.

"Hey, girlie," she said, turning around. "Let's shop."

"No," I contended firmly.

I could tell my aunt was frowning. "It's called _Aunt Duty_. I'm required to make you more miserable than you already are."

"That's what you said to me when _I_ was human," Bella said from the doorway, arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

"It's only natural that your daughter gets the same treatment."

"No," I repeated, more angry this time. "You think that if I've been in bed all day, I want to go out? Plus, I'm not in any shape to go to a mall. Look at me." I didn't bother waving an arm at my appearance. They got the idea.

Alice grinned, almost evilly. "That's where I come in," she informed me, placing her hands on her hips. "Welcome to Alice's Beauty & Co."

**OOO  
**

I could honestly say that I had no idea why I'd ever wanted to come back. Ever.

Okay, so maybe not honestly. But I was really starting to wonder if murder by overexposure to clothes was sue-able. My parents would sue my aunt if she killed me, right? Well, besides that tiny matter, I was going to be suffocated by the pile of clothing in my arms.

Which is probably why Rosalie had the mercy to take some of them off my hands. She smiled slightly at me, rolling her eyes at Alice, who was a buzzing ball of energy, racing around the room in spurts of hyper-activeness.

"And we're buying all of this?" I asked incredulously as Alice had men place the items on the counter. The clerk goggled at the pile—I really could only see his eyes, so I had no idea if his mouth had dropped—before asking Alice:

"Are you sure, Ma'am?"

She fixed him with a stare that gave him the impression that there must be something severely wrong with his brain, and he began to ring up the items at once.

"Cara, really," Alice replied calmly, most likely to my previous question. "I know it'll all look fantastic on you." She winked at me as she declared her vague answer, and I frowned.

_Only Alice._

After that, she made me change in a bathroom and created a mini-salon, redoing my hair and make-up. Shoppers walked by on their way to their stalls, a little dazed by that fact.

"I don't need make-up, Alice," I protested angrily. "I'm not looking for guys."

She faltered for a moment, but then ignored me and pressed on. When she was done, we headed to a movie. The genre was carefully picked—Couldn't be a love story, I'd cry. Couldn't be a horror flick, I'd crack. Couldn't be a Drama, because my life was chock-full of that crap. So, we went with a chick-flick, with the shitty kind of romance that never happens. Ever.

And then we went home, and I hadn't had fun, at all. Jasper picked up on that right away, sending my dad a glare. Edward ignored him, trailing his fingers over the ivory keys of his piano. I frowned, examining the exchange. Alice smiled brightly then, grabbing my hand and leading swiftly up the stairs.

She closed the door to my room—I guessed Esme had fixed it in my leave—and threw a bag at me. "Let's try on your clothes!" she suggested exuberantly. I frowned at the bag in my hands.

"But you said you knew they'd all look great on me," I argued, confused.

"It's still fun to try them on anyways. Go! And use your vampire speed. I don't feel like waiting all day."

I shot her a glare. "You _wasted_ all day taking me shopping," I grumbled, but unexpectedly, she didn't reply.

When I'd finished with the torture of being a runway model, Alice decided that we should play a board game. "Alice," Esme said disapprovingly. "You know what will happen. You know the cards everyone will pick up. You'll cheat."

Alice held up her hand in an oath. "I solemnly—"

"Very solemnly," interjected Emmett, elbowing Jasper.

"—swear that I, Mary Alice Brandon Cullen, will not cheat in our game of Monopoly."

"I hate Monopoly," I grumbled, but sat down anyway. The family ignored my statement. Well, except for Emmett, who laughed and rumpled my hair.

"Me too, kiddo."

So why-oh-why were we playing it?

After an hour, and not much progress in winning any property, but definitely down the road of going broke, we all agreed to stop. It was not that great of a game for Vampires, really. Besides, Edward was reading everyone's minds and manipulating the dice. I was almost positive Alice was indeed cheating—she was winning—despite the angelic look on her face.

So Emmett volunteered baseball instead.

Vampires, plus baseball, plus insane storm, equals a completely, wicked awesome game.

We were competitive—all of us could admit to that. Esme played referee, but I, my mom, my dad, and Carlisle were on a team. We got the mind reader, and Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper got the psychic. We were about as evenly matched as it could get, because while Emmett had the most strength, Rosalie didn't like getting too dirty.

Plus, we had Carlisle and Edward—two people who have been playing the game since the beginning. I smiled, and I knew how to do everything. In their face.

It was an exhilarating experience, with lots of thunder and space. My dad and I conveyed our plans to each other secretly, and the rush of the game filled my head.

I was really surprised that we hadn't broken more baseballs than we did. Well, we broke five. We lost about ten.

And we won.

But as I stepped into the house again, I was overwhelmed with sadness. Matt would have enjoyed baseball.

**OOO  
**

I knew what they were doing.

It was kinda obvious, actually. For people who've been around longer than the average human, you'd think they had more of a sense of secrecy. But my family was weird like that. They never had secrets, so when they actually tried to keep one (without raising suspicion), it was nearly impossible to do.

Actually, I was almost sure Alice was seeing the outcome right now.

I stopped inside my parents doorway—the good thing about having vampire hearing is you know you'll never walk in on your parents, but then again, you can always hear them. They were talking swiftly, nearly silently, and their tones hushed, halting, as they saw me in the doorway. We stared at each other for a moment, me and my dad, and he knew.

"Where did he go?" I asked, crossing my arms. "I know he was here."

My Dad had looked away from me, suddenly very interested by his endless possession of CDs. But as I asked the question, he looked up again, and my mother stared at me in shock. "And Alice…?" my dad inquired.

It had made sense to me as of five minutes ago. My aunt had been… preoccupying me on my family's orders—taking me shopping, the movie, the board game. They were all distractions from my disappointment. But I'd been starting to grow suspicious when she'd resorted to Monopoly, a game the whole family hated. Plus, this was a question I'd been wanting answer for a while, now. I still couldn't see Matt.

And I'd been here for a week.

"Alice went hunting," I told him, my gaze hardening. "She seems to think bribery isn't worth my happiness." I was being disrespectful, I know. But as I tapped my fingers on my arm, it occurred to my farther that I wasn't angry. I was heartbroken.

Edward frowned, and I thought desperately: _Please? I _need_ to know. This isn't something I'm asking you, Dad. I'm _begging.

My father's resolve snapped as I drew out the puppy-dog-eyes. I didn't think that's what altered his decision, though. It wasn't very effective for a vampire dad, but he knew what it was like to be without someone you loved.

"He was called back to Italy," my dad admitted heavily, and my mom rushed to catch me as I collapsed.

_He gave up._

Those three words rang continuously through my mind. Now wonder he wouldn't let me contact him. No wonder he'd left the Cullen Household. No wonder my parents hadn't talked to me about it. He gave up. He wanted nothing to do with me. It was over—_I_ was over. My entire existence seemed to crumble at the words. My heart felt like it was shattering into a billion pieces. It wasn't just broken, it was destroyed.

"What the hell is going on?" Jasper exclaimed, bursting through the door. "Apparently the world is ending." He doubled over, glancing pointedly at me. I must have looked terrible—my chest heaving from my sobs, clenched fists against my teary eyes.

"Jasper, don't," Edward ordered as a wave of calm diffused through the room. "If you can't handle it, then go outside, but Cara has to get through this… _obstacle_ by herself."

Obstacle? It was more like a void.

But when I glanced up, Jasper was gone. I vaguely recalled a pat on the shoulder as he went. My mother was stroking my hair, but my dad pulled me to my feet, having to support me because_ I'd_ given up as well. "Bella," he said quietly, without a glance in her direction, "I think I need to have a chat with Cara." He didn't say "alone", but my mother must have gotten the message because she kissed me on the forehead before she left.

My father steered me towards the couch, sat me down, and grabbed a chair. He straddled it, crossing his arms and leaning back. We did not speak for a long time, mostly because I was incapable of speech and because he was mulling over what to say. When my sobs wouldn't slow, he began.

"I know what you're thinking," he said, and I glanced up. Of course he did. "But you're not thinking particularly straight, to be honest. I confronted the same issue when… well, with your mother. There was an extremely difficult misunderstanding—"

"Yeah, I know," I sniffled. "Everyone went suicidal and flew to Italy."

Edward blinked. It was his way of looking surprised—he wasn't surprised that often, I guess. "How—? Never mind." Understanding lit his face and he added, "I forgot things… come naturally to you."

"That's not what happened," I insisted, shaking my head. "I didn't even know about my power yet. Matt—" My voice broke on the word. "_He_ told me about it."

He nodded, and there was a long span of silence. Technically, I didn't know why I was speaking out loud at all.

"Yes, well… Don't ever resort to that. It makes a bigger deal than necessary." There was another lapse of awkwardness, and then he continued, "Cara, stop thinking for a moment." The words: _He gave up_ were still running through my mind. "I know what you think it is, but you've received the message wrong. He returned to Italy because Aro wanted him there. He didn't just 'give up'. He left because it was an order, and _he has to follow orders_."

_I know the feeling,_ I thought, and that only brought the tears back.

As the liquid leaked from my eyes, Edward strode over to me and grabbed my shoulders. He did not shake me, but the action allowed him to see my face. I adverted my eyes, afraid to look my father in the face. I wasn't afraid of _him_, I was afraid of what I would find. Would his eyes betray the truth and scream of his lies? It was obvious that Matt had already forgotten me. He didn't care. And—Oh, yeah. _I'd killed his brother_.

"Cara, stop!" He forced me to look him in the eye, and as he registered the pain clear in my human eyes, he mentally staggered. His eyes took on a self-loathing look. "Are these the type of thoughts that ran through Bella's mind when I made the foolish attempt to leave her?" he asked himself, and was quiet for a moment while he regained his control.

"He loves you, Cara. Do you know that when he found out about you being captured, helpless…" Edward shook his head, trying to forget it himself. "Do you know how angry he became? The rage he felt? Jasper nearly wanted to leave the room. I was reading his thoughts, Cara, and do you know what he was thinking?"

I shook my head. "No."

"In exact context: _It's my fault. I should've killed him when I had the chance… What is there to throw? I wonder if Edward will mind if I ripped his piano apart._"

I blinked rapidly. "Your piano?"

"I'm glad to say I didn't let him. Emmett had to restrain him, actually. I was surprised… his eyes were golden. Did they used to be?"

"No," I told him. "They were red. But then he converted."

"Because he loves you, maybe?" Edward asked smugly.

I allowed myself to nod. And it occurred to me that this was quite the embarrassing subject to talk with my father about. I changed the subject from my love life before he could get into the "love" part.

"What was your reaction when he came?" I whispered. "I only learned recently that he didn't do any of the things I thought he had. I was so confused when Lucas told me… he came here. I thought I saw him in Esme's kitchen once, but—" I broke off, my thoughts racing ahead of my words. I couldn't concentrate anymore. For someone who knew everything, I was extremely confused.

"He came to us hoping to find you here. When he realized what had happened—that you'd gone to Alabama—he tried to leave himself. We'd thought you'd left Italy to escape something, so we kept him with us for a while. Alice kept an eye on you and I kept a watch on his mind." I noticed my father did not say his name. "When I'd realized you'd left to warn the Quileutes, Carlisle made sure they knew. Then, an hour after we decided to come and get you, Alice saw what happened with Lucas, Robbie, and… the crash.

"At first, Jasper had thought it was Matthew—" I winced "—who was feeling lovesick and miserable. And he was, but then, shortly after Alice saw your car being smashed to smithereens, Matt experienced a pain that would fit your… scenario. Alice and I put two and two together and came to a decision. You could both share emotional and physical ties."

"Yeah, I know. Lucas told me something like that. I think I absent-mindedly shut off receiving it. Is that possible?"

He nodded. "Caius believes so."

"Weird."

"He never shut it off, though." Edward's abrupt seriousness was radiated in his eyes. "Not once."

_Italy_, I thought. That one word seemed to have so many restrictions, so much _weight_. Everything there could stand in my way of getting my life back… well, so to speak. Maybe I should just lie down and admit… defeat?

My father did shake my shoulders this time. "No!" he ordered. "You can't!"

"Why not?"

He stared me in the eye, and I had a feeling I already knew the answer. "Because you know it'll kill you both."

"And frankly," called Alice from the doorway, "I'm getting sick of dealing with this un-fun, miserable Cara. I'm telling you, Edward, the angry version of her was so much more enjoyable." Alice grinned at me from over my father's shoulder. "So, kiddo, go fix it."

**OOO**

**WEEEE!!!!**

**Haha, that was indeed random. : ). So how are you all? I must warn you now to those of you who review, I might not be able to answer any questions for a while. I'm gone as of tomorrow morning, and I won't return until Saturday night. **

**But, yes. She's going back to Italy. And this was a filler chapter. But Cara needed to fix her relationship with Edward and get the hell off her sorry ass. –grins-. This chapter was to mainly answer questions. **

**About questions, some of you may have been confused when Cara was thinking: "Hurry up," and "how had he known?" from the last chapter. She saw Edward behind the dude with the gun when she opened her eyes, and hurry up was because she didn't want to get shot. All clear?**

**Jamie**


	21. Away From You

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 21: Away From You_

**Away From You—Aphasia **

**OOO**

I couldn't believe I was being so goddamn _stupid_.

I was aiming for inconspicuous, but, forgetting to ask Alice for another credit card had been my first mistake. Rita Fowler had long ago been eliminated, and now I had about a hundred bucks in cash. Hardly enough to rent a suitably quick car. So, I guessed Alice would enjoy the fact that I was starting to climb the ladder on my Grand Theft Auto skills.

Now that I thought about it, Jaime and I had played that in Montana. Not bragging or anything—me? Never—but I did whoop his ass on that game, too. The orphan kids and I must have snuck it into the boarding house a thousand times. When Jaime had asked me how I got so good at a "Boy Game," I just replied, "I gots myself some mad skills."

That was one of the few lies he'd bought from me.

Ripping myself from my thoughts, I checked my rearview mirror for the fuzz, and I was lucky. Not one cop. I reached for the coffee in the cup holder—yeah I know: Vampires don't drink coffee. Human seemed the way to go at the time, though. No more sparkling for me.

I also checked the interstate sign. I was in France at the moment—just because I liked driving throughout Europe—note sarcasm—which really isn't all that big, so the signs were _not_ in English. That was bad, because while I knew some Italian (like it was like French in the least), this car didn't have a GPS system. Not like I could type in "Volturi" and it would direct me there, but still. I knew the general location of where the fiends were.

That whole stealing-a-car-without-a-GPS-system thing? That was mistake number two.

I hadn't reached mistake number three yet, but I was just waiting for it to spring out and slap me in the face. I really should have planned this before I ran off. There were so many answers unbidden of which, honestly, I had no desire to know. Sure, I could look and see if Matt still wanted me, but I didn't want to know. It would be less embarrassing if I knew before I got there, but I was a coward.

Hell yes, I could face an army of newborns and squash them with the help of a couple wolves. Hell yes, I could race through an inferno to try and rescue my best friend. Hell yes, I could defeat that son of a bitch—scratch that; the "bitch" was Matt's mom, too. And, hell yes, I could run a gazillion miles an hour because _I was a vampire_.

But I was a whimpy coward when it came to knowing if I could get my old life back.

I could always go back to my birth family. They said so themselves.

"_It seems like you just got here," Esme had said, hugging me in that motherly way. You know, that back and forth motion that makes your brain rattle.. _

_Alice was laughing at me. "But she's been so _boring_! When she comes back, she'll be so much more fun!"_

_I shot Alice a questioning glance. "I highly doubt I'll be able to escape the Volturi anytime soon," I replied grimly, crossing my arms as Esme let go. Alice waved me off, rolling her eyes._

"_Trust me!" she exclaimed. "I'm Alice."_

_We all had to laugh at that one. And then it was Jasper saying goodbye, and Rosalie, too. "Miss you, Squirt," Jasper had informed me, while Rosalie had given me a brief hug. I know she envied me immensely—my being able to be human and all—but she somehow also adored me. She doted on me endlessly, as if I were her child, and not Edward and Bella's. _

"_Don't die," Emmett muttered sadly, actually sounding and looking depressed. I gave him an incredulous look as his puppy-dog eyes focused on me. "Man, you come back, and then you have to go be Edward-like and run off to Italia. Sheesh." He hugged me, almost knocking me to the ground, and I gasped out:_

"_I'm not gonna die, Em. Chill."_

_He was actually kind of scaring me. Just a little. _

_I turned to Carlisle, and he patted me on the back. "Come home soon, Cara," he advised, smiling. "We'll miss you."_

"_Can I ever call you 'Gramps'?" I hedged. He laughed, throwing his head back._

"_Let's give it another couple hundred years or so, okay?"_

"_Deal."_

_I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see my father. He was smiling at me, and he pulled me into a hug. I'd been crushed that day about fifteen times. "I'm so very proud of you," he enlightened me. "You've been so strong." _

_I composed myself before he let me go. When I glanced at his face, he was grinning. I wasn't, but he could tell I was pleased—ha-ha, more like _thrilled_—with his praise. When I glanced at my mother, she frowned at the whole family._

"_I can't believe not a single one of you told her to be careful," she scolded. It sounded like something I would hear from Esme, not my mom._

_Emmett looked resentful. "I told her not to die," he insisted. "That has to count for something."_

"_I'm not going to die! Oh, ye of little faith," I muttered under my breath. _

_As Bella pulled me into another hug and fixed my hair, she whispered, "Be careful anyway. I know you know everything, but you're pretty arrogant—just like your father." He heard the last part, Edward did, and rolled his eyes. _

_With that I left, and it wasn't long till I was boarded on the express flight to France—Italy was booked. And after that, it sort of passed in a blur, because I was mostly thinking of fantasies of how I would approach my lover._

Now, my phone buzzed. I ignored it as I switched gears—damn stick shifts—and sped up. Then, one hand on the wheel, I fumbled for the vibrating cell. "Hey."

"Oh. You're alive."

"Hello, Jaime."

He exhaled sharply on the other end. "Cara! My friggen _God_, did it ever occur to you to mind your own freaking business?"

"Whose business did I mind again?"

"Three killer rapists on the loose! And a _girl_! Oh, and by the way, thanks for calling. Really appreciated it. Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm _so_ happy that we have that connection, you know? That thing, right, that's called _courtesy_? You know, like, calling people so they know you didn't get your head blown off from here to effing _China_? I mean, honestly, sis! This random girl just shows up screaming her freaking head off! And here I am trying to calm her down, and when that doesn't work, Dan splashes her with a drink—"

"Dan did what?" I asked blankly.

There was a slight pause. I'd probably disrupted his momentum—which, in my case, was a good thing. "He threw a drink on her, and then we called the police, and then they did a search. And do you know what they found?"

It was a rhetorical question, but I answered anyways. "Mickey Mouse on parade?"

"No." Jaime's voice was oddly calm at the moment, and that—I had to admit—scared the hell out of me. "They found two crushed guns, blood, and three bodies. Three! You know what could kill three men without a gun—or, sorry, let me rephrase that. Without bullet holes in the guys' chests? Something paranormal. Like, oh, I don't know—a _vampire_?"

"They all had heart attacks at the same time?" I supplied.

"Bullshit. Do you know that I went through a week of questioning?"

"It's your fault that you dragged the cops into this, dude." I shifted gears again. "Not _my_ fault. You could have called me—I could've given you a kick-ass story."

"I did call you. As in, twenty-seven times a day."

I frowned. "I was… depressed."

"Oh, jeez."

"Alice took me shopping—wouldn't that depress you?"

"I have no idea," he replied, "because your aunt has never taken me shopping before. Big surprise."

"Look, Jaime," I sighed. "This convo has been totally awesome so far, and it's really cheering me up and all, but is there something you want to say that isn't contradicting me?"

I could just picture him running a hand over his face. "Sorry," he amended. "Where are you?"

"Uh…" I glanced at the next street sign. "Nice is seventeen miles south. I'm almost to Italy."

I heard something that sounded like the spitting out of a drink. "Italy?" Jaime repeated, sounding dumb.

"Where did you think I was?"

"New Hampshire?"

"Nope." I grimaced. "No, actually, I'm halfway across the world."

There was a heavy sigh. "Don't die."

"Do you know how many times I've heard that in the past month?" I asked rudely. Jaime laughed.

"You aren't the safest person on the planet, Cara. Don't sound so shocked."

"Whatever. I'll call you when I get to Genova."

"Sure," he replied. "Cool. Take care, now," he added, just to get on my nerves.

"Shut the hell up."

And he did, and I shut the phone.

I pulled over at the next gas station, focusing on Matt again. It still wasn't working! It was so annoying, having a power, getting used to it, and then discovering the glitch. I leaned my head against the steering wheel and breathed heavily. Searching for something that was never going to open up to me was exhausting, not to mention I was fooling myself.

I wasn't even trying.

I loaded the car up with gas and got back in. A few hours later and I'd be in Italy. It only made my heart beat faster.

**OOO**

I blinked furiously, trying to rid the tiredness from my eyes. I just felt like I could curl up and… go to sleep. I just wanted to fall into that down bed in Matt's room and sleep forever.

A blazing horn changed my mind, though, and I was blinking again. But my eyelids seemed so heavy. I sighed, a shaking hand reaching for my cup, and pushed the last drops of my Jamaican coffee into my mouth.

And just when I started thinking, _Shit. I'm going to fall asleep and crash, and then I'm going to die,_ the castle came into view.

My heart thrummed in my chest, and I shivered. Was I crazy? Did I think that after escaping from the _Volturi_ that I could just _come back_?

Which got me thinking. How had I gotten away in the first place? Had it been set up?

No, I doubted the Volturi were that patient _or_ creative. They'd grown bored with lengthy experiments. If they'd wanted to test me, they would have just tested me. End of story.

I looked at the clock on the dashboard: it read three AM. Oh my god, freaking three AM. I wanted to die, goddamn it. _Die_.

I parked the car outside of the gates, getting out and leaning against it in a daze. What I was about to do was suicide. Maybe even torture. I no longer had the gold bracelet to protect me against Aro, Jane, and Marcus. In fact, I was sure that I'd be stopped if I took one step closer.

But something surged me on. It might have been the thought of falling asleep in Matt's scent, in his oh-so-comfy bed that smelled just like him. It might have been the beckoning of a warm shower and clean clothes.

But no, I didn't think that was it.

What I did think it was, was the fact that I hadn't seen Matt in a year. And I missed him. And I needed to make amends.

So I walked forward through the gates, and when I was halfway down to the castle, someone stopped me. Not physically, but they just materialized in front of me, standing there and crossing their arms as if they'd been there the whole time.

"Who goes there?" the person asked softly, barely a whisper above the wind. They weren't very tall—so, that ruled out Aro, Marcus, Caius, and Demetri, and probably the rest of the guard.

"Cara Cullen," I stated. "Who wants to know?"

I couldn't see the midget's face, but the air crackled their surprise. "You don't remember me?" asked the silhouette, slightly louder. The moon slid out from a cloud, and the sudden light illuminated a strand of brown hair from beneath a smoke-like hood.

"Jane?" I gasped, trying to overshadow fear with astonishment.

In the dim light, the figure slowly shook its head. "Not quite," they amended. "Alec, Jane's brother?"

Oh. Oops. "Of course. You'll have to excuse me—it's difficult lighting to be making assumptions. Do forgive me."

If he noted the sarcasm in my tone, he didn't say anything. "Why are you here?" he inquired.

"I have matters to attend to. I'm sure if Aro wants to know, he can ask me himself." I crossed my arms across my chest and frowned. I was tired. I wanted to see Matt. I wanted to sleep, for Christ's sakes.

A grim, ghostly smile lit Alec's features. "Matthias hasn't been exactly competent this past year. He doesn't need any more distractions."

"Me? A distraction? Hardly."

Alec's cold, red eyes ran over me. "Did something happen to your neck?" he asked abruptly, and I clutched my jacket tighter around the scar.

"Yes, something did," I agreed. "But I need to speak with Matthias. Is he here?" I felt myself sway and leaned against the nearest tree, trying to appear not fatigued, but bored.

"No."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Yes."

I rubbed my temples. "Alec, I'm sorry, but I do not have time for games. Please, can you tell me where he is?"

Alec's tone didn't change as he informed me, "I sent him to the forest in the south. Apparently, there have been some misgivings, or, well, _problems_ with the wildlife there."

"Oh." I turned, debating whether to leave now or sleep. I didn't think I'd be much use to Matt if I just showed up and clung to him… or fainted on him.

"I don't suggest leaving," Alec called out, tone neutral, from behind me. The implications sent chills down my spine. It meant that Aro wanted to talk to me before I had a chance to escape. "Actually, I don't believe it's an option."

"I got the message the first time," I growled acidly, shoving my hands in my pockets. "Why aren't you taking me to Aro now?" I demanded suddenly, whipping around to face the small boy. "I did run away, after all."

"Test."

I felt the color drain from my face. "What?"

"I'm sure your dear Matthias will explain it to you when he gets back. Well, if he gets back."

I ignored the last remark, digging my nails back into my palms. "May I go inside then?" I asked rudely, rolling my eyes behind closed lids.

"Be our guest." A Disney phrase, but coming from Alec, it sounded _un_inviting and just plain creepy.

I trudged into the castle. No one bothered to speak to me, even as I passed Caius and Demetri. They shot me sidelong glances, but didn't utter a word. It was either they weren't surprised, didn't care, or I looked like a walking zombie.

None of which would surprise me.

When I reached the old room—I knew it by heart—I stopped. My footsteps in this particular hallway had been slow and deliberate, and I reached for the doorknob with shaking fingers. I knew he wasn't there, but it didn't stifle my excitement.

The door swung open, and I slipped my feet into the ancient, yet beautiful, carpet, relishing in the soft plush beneath my toes. Not quite the feel of home, but it _was_ the feel of where I should be.

I made my way to the bathroom, deciding to take a shower. I let the burning water relax me, force me to breathe calmly, and shampooed and all. And then I wrapped a towel around myself before returning to the dresser. I slipped into a pressed shirt of his—one of the ones you see in movies, like the kind that go to mid-thigh—and boxers before turning to the bed.

It had been cleaned, that much was obvious, but I realized, as I ran my fingertips across the sheets, that Matt hadn't touched it. Not once. His Latin book was where it had always been—by his leather arm chair on the east side of the room. My note was gone, I realized, as was the locket. He had them.

I glided into the crisp, cool sheets of the bed, turning on my side and pulling my knees to my chest. I fell asleep almost instantly, the rest of the world's weight on my shoulders.

**OOO**

When I coasted back to consciousness, everything came slowly. My eyelids still felt heavy, and I couldn't move. Which was odd, I thought, because after all, it was a king sized bed. I was curled up almost into a ball, and I felt something touch my hair in a long, fluid motion. Content, I tried to slip deeper into my warm burrow, but something was restraining me.

Slowly, I managed to open my eyes. Drearily, I tried to process what I could see from my position: My waist. I could see my waist. And there was something on my waist—or, not on it, but _around_ it. I squinted harder, trying to determine what I was seeing. Whatever "it" was, it was pale, and strong, and… _Oh, my_. Very gorgeous, almost glittering.

I yawned, choosing to ignore whatever was around my waste, and snuggled deeper into my burrow. I vaguely recalled another fluid movement, this time down my side: curving around my breast, down my ribcage, into the shallow curve of my waist, over my hip, and trailing along my thigh. The movement sent a spark of lust through me, and I opened my eyes again, confused.

My vision was clearer this time—not so blurry. I managed to lift a fist and rubbed my eye furiously, retracting sleep and mascara from it. Then I focused on my waist again, or, more specifically, what was around it.

Two solid arms, one tucked under me, holding me close to its keeper, and the other draped effortlessly over me, in a way that claimed: "Back off. She's mine." I trailed my gaze up the arm, and it looked painfully familiar, over the shoulder, and down to the chest. And, if I didn't know that chest, well… I just couldn't _not_ know it.

It was a very broad chest, as tan as one could be for a vampire. And my face was pressed up against it, giving me a clear view of the abs beneath the chest. Gorgeous, I decided finally, still confused as to where I was exactly, and why this particular chest was pressed up against my face.

I managed to rub my eyes again, yawning. Then I shook my head, trying to form a coherent thought, and the chest vibrated. The sound reached my ear a moment later.

"As adorable as you are," a deep, husky, velvet voice chuckled, "you're not usually this disoriented in the mornings."

Well, I'll be damned.

**OOO**

**Wow, okay, I'm mad. **

**I had this all planned out, down to the wire. And I wrote it in biology because my teacher's a skitzo/psycho, and I had nothing better to do. I also wrote Matt's version of this, but I LOST it. So I had to write it from memory. Which SUCKS, because it was pretty close to being just about perfect, if I do say so myself.**

**So, yeah. I'm mad. But hey, just one thing: This is the second to last chapter. Chapter 22 will be the last chapter. I have it all planned out. Hopefully I don't lose it. Then there will be one more story, which plot I haven't really figured out, but I DO NEED A TITLE, so it has to be a time frame. The outtakes will be called Midnight, because that's halfway between Moonrise and Sunrise. **

**Do tell if you have a time of day that can be used as the next title. : )**

**Jamie.**


	22. The Scientist

Sunrise

_**Sunrise**_

_Chapter 22: The Scientist_

**The Scientist—Coldplay. **

**At first, I couldn't find one freaking song to fit this chapter. Then I found ten, and I just had to choose one. Ironic, no?**

**Well, the other songs were: For All Time—Soluna. Andddd…. All Around Me—Flyleaf. But the Scientist fit better because it fit in with New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer, of who I am not. If you listen to it, it also definitely reflects Edward.**

**Who, by the way, has been cast for a while now. I never asked you of what you thought on that particular subject. Lol. Tell if you wish.**

**WARNING: I got a tad carried away in this chapter. No sex is described, I assure you, but I did get a tad carried away. Sorry if it offends you. : (**

**OOO**

In moments, I was sobbing. Sobbing so hard that I could barely hear the sharp intake of breath from the man next to me. He pulled me closer, alarmed, and I clung to him desperately. I couldn't stop the shaking, the rips down my body, the tears flowing over the brim of my lids and spilling on his chest and to the sheets.

"What is it?" he asked softly, not daring to move an inch from my quivering body. "Cara, what's wrong?"

I couldn't wrap my mind around the concept.

_Matt_ was holding me to him, in his room, in Volterra.

I was having trouble breathing, actually, through my tears. I shuddered, gasping, and this only upset him more. I remembered he hated it when I cried. He couldn't stand it. He outright loathed me plus crying.

"Cara," he whispered, his lips right by my forehead. "Tell me what's wrong… _please_."

I burrowed my head deeper into his chest, and he drew me even closer, humming softly in my ear. "Y-You don't ha-have to say p-please a-anymore," I choked out, my body still shaking. The words, somehow, made me sad.

"That doesn't tell me what's making you bawl," he murmured, stroking my hair again. His hand trailed to my shoulder, almost tentatively, and he ran his fingers up and down my arm lovingly, as if I were fragile.

Did he honestly not get it? All this pent-up emotion was escaping from me, emotion I'd kept locked away for nearly a year. It was pouring out of me, and I couldn't stop it. I didn't _want_ to stop it. I'd been careful about letting it get by me, but so much had happened. First running away, and Robbie dying, and getting captured, beating up rapists, and being back with _him_ was just icing on the cake. I was so…

So _relieved_.

"I'm sorry," I gasped out, still clinging to his still form. "I'm so sorry."

"For _what_?" he asked, and I still hadn't dared to look at his face, but I could just picture the bewildered look there.

"I've been so stupid," I cried, clutching his arms mercilessly, the shivers still running down my spine.

He tensed. "Don't say that."

I glared at his chest. It was the only part of him I could see. "I've been so stupid," I repeated stubbornly.

"Stop it, Cara." His tone wasn't dangerous, exactly, as I expected it to be. It was pleading. Begging me to stop contradicting myself.

"I've been really stupid, though," I persisted, weaker now. I didn't want to hurt him, but my point had to be made. "Really. And we both know it."

"Reckless," he revised. "Careless. Pig-headed. Stubborn. Lovely, yes. But never, ever, stupid."

And then his lips were on mine. I wasn't sure how he managed it, but he did. I was suddenly on my back, my warm burrow abandoned, and he was hovering over me, his lips meeting mine with a passionate fervor. His arm was still tight around my waist, clutching me as close to him as possible, while his free hand was rested on my hip, his thumb rubbing circles on my skin.

I felt a sliver of pain as I reverted back to my vampire form, and my human tears were still present on my face. But he kissed them away, crushing his lips to mine again. The touches were less gentle now, and urgency beneath them that left us breathless. I dug my fingers into his hair, pulling his head down to me and we kissed again, and again, and again. His hand was sliding up the pressed shirt, now, and this was all too familiar.

I caught his hand, even though I didn't want to, and leaned my head back to get air. "Matt," I whispered, and the name sounded perfect. That was when he started being Matt, and not "he."; when I started believing this was real. "No." I forced the words out, even though it was pain ripping through me to say them. Matt sat back on his heels, breathing hard.

"Sorry," he apologized faintly. "Well, I'm not sorry, but you get the idea."

"It's not that I don't want to," I whispered, reaching up for him. He pulled me into a gentle embrace, forgetting the burning lust for a moment, even though I was positive it was still rushing through him. "Man, I _really_ want to."

"I know," Matt said. "I can feel it."

Oh, yeah. The _feeling_ thing. "We have to talk about things," I told him.

"Talk?"

Most guys lived in the physical world, and Matt was no exception. He would be willing to listen, I know, but now his hormones were raging, and I hadn't helped that. He leaned into my shoulder and breathed deeply.

"Damn," he murmured quietly. "I missed you."

I kissed his neck, and he tensed, but in the good way. "That's what we need to talk about," I whispered, barely voicing the words. He relaxed slowly, muscle by muscle.

"About how much I missed you?"

"No." I clung tighter to him as I began to slip from his lap, and he readjusted me so I was facing him. "About how insensitive I was."

His eyes—gold now, pure gold—blazed dangerously. It was even, I guessed if it were directed at me, more frightening then the red. "Don't—" he started to say, but I shook my head, burying my face in his neck.

"Matt," I said finally, and his chest rumbled silently in contentedness. "I'm so very sorry."

"For getting captured?" he asked incredulously. "That wasn't your fault at all."

"No. For leaving, you twot," I sighed. "I thought they were in trouble."

I felt his neck muscles strain, and he told me, "It was a test. I didn't know until the night you disappeared. That was where I was… a meeting." Something in his voice sounded strange, but when I looked at his face, all it held was concern. "I didn't know what would happen, Cara. I didn't know Lucas was involved. No one did."

Then I realized what the strange sound was. It was the sound someone made when they tried not to cry. My eyes widened at my realization, and I felt a fury-like scowl make its way onto my face. I grabbed his chin, broken expression and all, and dragged it down to me. I made sure he was looking at my eyes, and I said, "Don't you dare beat yourself up over this."

"If I'd killed him—"

"Killed your _brother_? Look, I know he was screwed up and all, but that would still be hard on you." I didn't mention it had been equally hard on me, knowing I had killed Matt's only family he had left.

"You need to stop worrying about me," he sighed. "You're the one I'm worried about right now, not myself." As he pulled back to touch my face with his palm, his eyes trained themselves lower than my face. Lower, yes, but not at my breasts. No, he was above them, it looked like, and he blinked a few times.

"Cara?" he asked, his voice odd. He didn't raise his eyes, but reached a hand out. Then he thought better of it and refastened it around my waist. "What is this?"

I frowned. "What is what?"

Then I realized he was staring at my neck, and _what_ he was staring at that was on my neck. I felt my chest clench, and I adverted my eyes. "It's nothing—"

"Cara." The word stopped me, and I raised my eyes to Matt's. He was looking at me with this intensity, this hurt look on his face. "Don't lie to me."

I felt myself reverting back to human form, and I desperately tried to fight it. I felt the tears burn behind my eyes, and I screwed them shut. Matt grasped me tighter, leaning down to kiss the scar tenderly. I shivered with desire, but forced it off. We still needed to talk.

He us back down, draping me over him. I lifted my face to gauge his, but it was still full of concern. He traced the scar mindlessly, his thumb spreading across it coolly. "What happened? I saw it on you when I was watching you sleep, but I thought it would go away when you phased."

"It can't," I stated flatly.

"Why not?"

"It has his venom in it," I continued in my lifeless tone. "It won't go away. Fade? Maybe. But it won't go away."

"I don't… follow."

Of course he didn't. Even though he served as a guard to the most powerful coven in the world, Matt wasn't very educated in Vampirism 101. "Venom leaves a mark on its own kind," I confided gravely. He tensed.

"He _bit_ you?"

I shook my head slowly, exhaustion crashing onto me as I remembered. "No. He had a knife. And I wasn't on my guard when I was fighting him, so he cut me, and then he told me that the blade was coated in venom, and it would stay with me. Forever."

I wasn't looking at him anymore, but I heard him. Matt was cussing lividly, but faintly. I thought I caught the words: "damn knives," but I couldn't be sure.

"I'm sorry."

He sighed heavily, running a hand over his face while the other traced patterns on the small of my back. "Not this again. _Why_?"

"I feel like I haven't covered everything," I explained, my tone hushed. "I'm sorry about being a bitch to you—"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Bitch, as in, a female dog."

He didn't laugh. "Funny."

"I'm just saying I'm sorry I wasn't more sympathetic when I was here. You were really good to me, and I'm sorry that I didn't appreciate that. I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye." I took a deep, shuddering breath before I continued. "I'm sorry that you came to look for me and I wasn't there. I'm sorry that I worried you. I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner. But mostly, I'm sorry I didn't tell you something very important, something I didn't realize until after I was already gone."

Matt stroked my hair, and if I hadn't known better, I'd say his fingers were shaking. But it wasn't him. It was me.

"Matt…" Another deep breath. "I love you."

The fingers stopped. Froze. As in, defying laws of gravity kind of froze. He didn't move for a solid minute. He didn't even breathe. I felt like I was lying against a rock as the second slowly ticked by. Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I pressed closer to him, afraid he'd let me go. And then his chest descended as he let out a huge gust of air.

"Say it again," he demanded in a whisper, sounding almost breathless.

The heat in my face disappeared. He hadn't been mad or scared. Maybe a little shocked, even surprised, but he hadn't been still and silent because he was angry. The words had sent countless pleasure through him, and he couldn't move because of it.

I pulled myself up to his face and kissed him full on the mouth. "I love you," I murmured, kissing him again. Softly, dotingly. His lips parted under mine, and his hands moved up to my hips, pressing them to his. He was conveying a very specific message, and I gasped into his mouth, knowing just how much I missed the skin-on-skin contact between us.

I pressed myself tighter to him, ripping my lips away from his for a few precious seconds. He growled futilely, but when I whispered, "I love you," again, he was content. His hands trailed up, brushing my breasts, and I hissed into his mouth. He chuckled, the vibrations sending sparks through my body, and rolled until he was atop of me.

I felt every line of him against me, every muscle pushing me deeper into the fluffy mattress. I ran my hands up to his neck and massaged the muscles, and he groaned, kissing me harder. I squirmed beneath him, gasping for air I didn't need.

"I love you more," he murmured, nearly incoherently, but it was there all the same. And it filled me to the brim with satisfaction. It was nice to hear it aloud.

But defiance flickered in me, and Matt saw it. His expression melted into confusion, and I whispered, as to not ruin the mood we'd set up, "Prove it."

He laughed gently, and snaked his hand across my collarbone. I shivered helplessly, and he grinned. He knew all he had to do was kiss me again, and I'd be won over. But he didn't intend on stopping there. He intended to drag this out to emphasize his point.

He trailed his hand lower, and I growled fierily into his shoulder. I felt like my entire being was about to snap. He kissed my neck, nipping delicately, and I shuddered again. When my whole being ached I cried out, "Alright, already. I get it. You love me more. _Stop_!"

He laughed again, his hands finally still, and I let my head fall back onto the mattress, breathing heavily. "You scared me for a moment there."

"I what?" he asked, fixing me with a penetrating stare. There was something wrong with the way he said the words.

"You scared me," I repeated, still gasping. "When I said I loved you, and you didn't even _move_."

He blinked. Once, twice, three times. "You thought I would reject you." It wasn't a question.

"You didn't move," I maintained, weaker now, still not looking at him. "Like, at all."

"I was shocked." He didn't sound amused at all. More worried—I didn't get it. "You really think I would turn you away for telling me what I've been wanting to hear for nearly _two years_?"

Oh. That's why he was worried. He thought I had no faith in him. "No. I didn't know you wanted to hear it."

He was silent, and I wondered if I should have not brought it up. "You thought I didn't love you." Also not a question.

"Not exactly—" I tried to say, but suddenly his face was above mine, the lightheartedness gone, and intensity in its place.

"You thought I hated you for leaving."

It was all I could do to stare up into his liquid gold eyes and mumble an unmistakable "Yes."

Instead of walking away, or slamming doors, as he might have done in the past, he leaned his head down to mine in a slow, warm, adoring kiss. His hands moved to caress my face, and suddenly it was his turn to declare, "I love you," over and over again. Twelve times he murmured it into my waiting ear, and my chest, while feeling as whole as it had in ages, began to shake in relieved sobs.

He quieted them, distracting me by whispering my name dotingly again and again, followed by an occasional "I love you." He kissed the scar again and again, and tugged on the hem of his shirt, which was on me.

"You wearing this isn't helping," he whispered, hesitant, voice like velvet.

I let him pull it over my head.

**OOO**

We stopped at ten.

Actually, I hadn't been content with stopping, but for some reason, he'd rolled over on the bed and grabbed a pair of jeans. And boxers, of course. I frowned, squinting at him in the moonlight. I growled at his back, and he turned, appraising me with a ghostly smile.

"No words, my beloved," he whispered, placing a kiss on my lips, retaining the hushed atmosphere. "Get dressed."

"Dressed? Why—" Another kiss, slow and long, swallowing my words. I pulled away with a pout, and he grinned softly at me.

"Let's say… it's a surprise."

I pouted again as he lifted himself off the bed for a second time, pulling on his boxers and jeans. My warmth—or what little there had been—was gone along with him. He turned again as he shrugged on his shirt, and took in my appearance with a growing smile. "God," he said, "you look like you've been through one of those hurricanes." The statement seemed to make him proud.

"Well, gee, that's such a seductive thing to say to your lover after she's been gone for a year."

"But I love it. And I love you. So it's a beautiful combination."

I raised my brows. "Right."

"Are you going to put some clothes on?"

"Can't I just take yours off?"

"No." The corners of his mouth twitched. "I'm afraid not. We have to be somewhere soon."

I fell back onto the bed, not willing to leave my haven. "Where could you _possibly_ have to be? You had no idea I was coming this morning."

"True," he allowed. "Does that matter?"

I pulled a pillow over my head. "You thought of this while you were making love to me." Not a question.

"You expect me to help myself?" he murmured, drawing the pillow down from my face. He placed a chaste kiss on my lips and added, "I'm serious. Get dressed. If you don't, I'll do it for you."

I groaned. "Fine."

"Damn. I was looking forward to that."

I glared at him as I got out of bed. His eyes followed me until I was at the closet. "Perv," I teased with a smile. He grinned, pretending to peek behind shielded eyes.

"I still want to know where we're going," I told Matt minutes later as he led me down the hall. He glanced back at me, grabbed my wrist, and opened a door.

And then we were outside, racing side by side, hand in hand. Our laughter was carried away by the wind in wisps, filling our beings. Two helpless souls (yes, souls) in love was what we were, and neither of us had any problem with it. He lifted me onto his shoulder, spinning us around until the trees, the wall, the lake, and the castle all became a blur.

I wooed into the wind, as loud as spiritual as a wolf, and Matt, laughing, followed suit. I found it ironic, later, that we were vampires making the calls of our enemies. But, then again, I couldn't have a care in the world just then.

I didn't care that we were in Italy, and I was probably going to fall back into slavery. I didn't care that we were probably being watched right at that moment. And I didn't care about the fact that we were probably going to face tomorrow with grim faces.

I just cared about tonight.

"Run with me," I whispered into Matt's ears as the spin came to and end, and he lifted his head.

"Already done."

And we were flying again, me placed precisely on his shoulders. I lifted my arms to the wind, and everything came into focus, sharp in the rushing air.

"Can you see the sky?" Matt asked as we stopped. I looked up, into the black blanket of shimmering stars. I nodded against his hair. "Watch closely."

The stars continued to twinkle, as if congratulating me on my choice. I smiled, and blinked quickly. As I opened my eyes, fire ripped through the sky, blackening out the stars, showing my lover and myself in a red-gold light. And then a white inferno erupted after it, followed by a sparkling green. The colors of Italia.

My eyes grew wide as they continued, and I gasped. "Fireworks."

"You like?"

"I love."

I could see his grin as another wave of fireworks lit the sky. "Good."

"I haven't seen this many fireworks since I was a child," I recalled two hours later, at midnight, laying down in the clearing and watching the sky dance. Matt leaned closer to me, grabbing my chin with his free hand.

Another shower of light cascaded over us, and his golden eyes shined as he declared, "Then Happy New Year, Cara."

And we kissed.

_**THE END**_

**OOO**

**I really, really, really enjoyed writing this. **

**I'd thought I would continue, but I have waaaayyyyy too much going on.. I'm sorry, because there used to be an assurance up here to say I was writing one. I'm not. I'm trying to get started myself. **

**Thank you for all who reviewed, added to alerts, and favorited this story. It means a lot to me. **

**Always,**

**Jamie.**


	23. Nightfall, anyone?

Hello, one and all

Hello, one and all!

Yes, I get the fact you haven't heard from me in a while. And I'm sorry. But, the point is, after a billion protesting reviews—"billion" being an exaggeration—about how I couldn't just end it there, and I couldn't leave them hanging, yada yada yada . . .

Well, long story short, I decided to finally work myself up and restart Nightfall.

I know most of you probably don't give a crap, because it's been so long, and if you don't act fast, then you lose your reviewers. A few people have come back, and I'll have to say thank you for that. But for those of you who are interested, and just don't know about it, check out my profile.

Nightfall is up.

And guess what? I already have chapters 2 and 3 written down, and I'm almost ready to start four, so it's not a fluke or anything. I'm really going to finish it.

So, for those of you who haven't given up on this story, I just wanted to let you guys know what the deal was.

Here's the full summary in Cara's POV, since FF is annoying and only let's me put like 20 words:

**Wow. I didn't know politics in the vampiric world were so confusing. I've never been one for politics, that's for sure, but it seemed like now I was going to have to get used to it. I was in the Powder Keg, to put it bluntly. Or, more specifically, I was the Powder Keg. If I didn't play my cards right, there'd be a war going on between the wolves and the Volturi, and whoever they could rack up.**

**Not to mention I had to help Aida with that request of hers. And I also wanted out. For the rest of eternity.**

Always,

Jamie.


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